Cruise Kaohsiung Taiwan Part 2: KW2, Pier 2 and Fongyi Tour

Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s largest southernmost city, is one of the most popular destination for cruise tour in Taiwan. Following on from part one of Taiwan Scene’s recommendations for your cruise tour in Kaohsiung, here are three more places to visit in the city!

KW2 (棧貳庫)

A warehouse originally built by the Japanese back in 1914 to store and transport sugar and then rebuilt in 1962 following bombing during the Second World War, KW2 is now a large multipurpose exhibition venue housing restaurants, coffee shops, craft stores and more. Conveniently located on the sea front not far from the ferry terminal, the huge space, also known as Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No 2, is the perfect place to lose an hour two perusing everything it has to offer. You can find local craft beer, shaved ice, jerky, dried fruits, clothes, souvenirs, watches, jewelry, honey, grass jelly, coffee and more. It’s an ideal stop off to pick up some treats, gifts and keepsakes to bring back to loved ones after your cruise. Outside, not far from the water front, is a merry-go-round where you can feel like a child again for a few minutes as you spin gently round to your heart’s content.

Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No 2 were a warehouse originally built by the Japanese back in 1914 . (Image source: Taiwan Scene)

KW2 is a perfect place to lose an hour two perusing everything it has to offer.(Image source: Taiwan Scene)

Sample some dried fruits at KW2. Tell us which one you like the most! (Image source: Taiwan Scene)

Pier 2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區)

An abandoned warehouse transformed by local artists, Pier 2 Art Center is an exhibition space displaying a variety of examples of fine art down by Kaohsiung Harbor. The art in the area is not just housed at Pier 2 Art Center, but at various galleries and studios, many of which boast impressive, colorful murals painted on their walls. The surrounds also hosts various pop up events, installations, festivals and concerts at The Wall Livehouse, while also being home to the Hamasen Museum of Taiwan Railway. There is also mechanical-based art on Component Street and various examples of 3D art scattered around the site. One notable art work is 3D Train Station(車站壁畫) by artist Su Chia-Hsien (蘇家賢), a large mural painted on the side of a building that was a former dorm of Taiwan International Ports Corporation. The painting depicts a Taiwan High Speed Rail platform and if photographed just right, it can look like you’re actually walking on the platform to catch a train. (Read Also: 8 Things To Do When Traveling With Kids in Kaohsiung)

Pier 2 is an exhibition space displaying a variety of examples of fine art down by Kaohsiung Harbor. (Image source: Taiwan Scene)

Fongyi Tutorial Academy (鳳儀書院)

Dating back to the Qing Dynasty rule of Taiwan, Fonyi Tutorial Academy is the largest preserved Confucian academy in Taiwan. Built in 1814 during the rule of Jiaqing Emperor (嘉慶), it was a venue where candidates could take imperial civil service examinations. An example of traditional Chinese-style architecture, the building was restored in 2007 by the Kaohsiung City Government having been deemed a level 3 historical monument back in November, 1985. The academy’s garden is full of animated statues, while the center itself consists of 37 rooms and a center alter dedicated to three Buddhas: Wenchang (文昌), Kuichang (奎昌) and Changsheng (倉聖). Nowadays, the historical location proves to be a popular tourist destination, particularly amongst fans of history.