What originated as a military fortress in the 17th century has today become a popular harbour district of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. The modern-day Zuoying District is a place of village-like serenity, centred around the district’s scenic man-made Lotus Pond, Monkey Mountain and Qing Dynasty architecture.

Things to do

In the centre of Zuoying District, you’ll find Lotus Pond, a man-made lake encircled by colourful lotus plants and multiple temples. Walk around its shoreline and visit the Taoist Spring and Autumn Pavilions, the identical seven-storey Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the Confucius Temple of Kaohsiung.

Are you interested in Qing Dynasty history? Visit the Old City of Zuoying, which was built during Qing rule and features four gates. The South, East and North gates are the best-preserved, and the North Gate features sculptures of gods. The nearby Gongchen Well was frequently used by locals during the Qing Dynasty.

Like many districts in Taiwan, Zuoying boasts its own lively market, the Ruifeng Night Market. This bustling night market offers rich cultural immersion, along with unique xiaochi food, including traditional herb tea, fish balls, Mongolian barbecue and papaya milk tea. Traditional carnival games, clothing and artisan stores and live entertainment also fill out the street.

Part of Kaohsiung City, Zuoying District places you within eight kilometres of Shou Shan Zoo, home to animals from around the globe, such as kangaroos, black bears and tigers. You’re also within five kilometres from the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, where you can wander through fascinating sculpture and ecology parks.

Getting around

Zuoying District is serviced by two stops on the Western Line of Taiwan’s railway, Zuoying Station and New Zuoying Station. It’s easy to wander around this small district on foot or catch taxis to nearby attractions, or you can catch the Taiwan High-Speed Rail from Zuoying Station.