Kaohsiung – Art, Culture, and Night Markets

Kaohsiung: Taiwan’s Underrated Gem

We’ll head south to Taiwan, landing in Kaohsiung. If you think of Taiwan, you probably picture Taipei. Kaohsiung is where the real creativity happens.

How We Get There

Our journey from Bangkok to Kaohsiung is shaping up to be one of the smartest legs of this trip, thanks to snagging seats on EVA Air for just 12,500 Aeroplan points plus under $40 USD in taxes per person one-way. EVA Air’s service is consistently excellent, and this redemption delivers incredible value for a direct flight connecting Thailand’s vibrant capital to Taiwan’s creative southern hub. Flying from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) to Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH), we’ll be airborne for about 3.5 hours, landing right in the heart of one of Asia’s most underrated cities. This points hack keeps our multi-country adventure financially sustainable while positioning us perfectly for Kaohsiung’s waterfront art scene, night markets, and cultural gems.

Where We Stay

For our Kaohsiung stay, we’re really looking forward to basing ourselves at Hotel Yoshi for 5 nights, booked through the Citi Travel Portal where we stacked the $100 off $500 promotion to keep costs down while still enjoying a stylish, well-reviewed property in the heart of the city. Located in Kaohsiung City Centre near the Yancheng District, the hotel sits within walking distance of the Love River, Pier-2 Art Center, and the Kaohsiung Music Center, putting us right in the middle of the city’s creative, waterfront neighborhood with easy MRT access from nearby Yanchengpu Station. It’s the ideal base for a Kaohsiung itinerary focused on street art, night markets, and harborfront walks, and the combination of a strong location plus smart credit card offers makes this stay a big win for both convenience and value.

Things Looking Forward To

Pier-2 Art Centre and Weiwuying Street Art Village. Pier-2 transforms old warehouses into an ever-changing contemporary art space, with murals, installations, and pop-up shops. Weiwuying takes it further—entire residential blocks are covered in colorful street art created by international and local artists. We’ll spend hours just photographing and exploring, stopping for coffee at one of the quirky cafés tucked between murals.

We won’t miss the Kaohsiung Music Center, a stunning architectural piece designed like a wave, especially beautiful when lit up at night. The Dome of Light at Kaohsiung Main Station (supposedly the world’s most beautiful train station) is also worth a visit—it’s a 30-meter-high glass dome using 4.5 million glass pieces.

Kaohsiung’s night markets rival Bangkok’s, but with a distinctly Taiwanese vibe. Ruifeng Night Market is the biggest and most famous. We’ll grab stinky tofu, fried chicken, bubble tea, and oyster omelets while navigating the crowds. Liuhe Night Market, one of the oldest, is smaller and more walkable.