Romance flows through the heart of Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city. You sense it when you take an evening stroll along the river and see couples walking hand in hand. Here, it is hard to believe that you are in the middle of a booming metropolis of 1.5 million people that owes its success to heavy industry, petrochemicals and container shipping. Dynamic industrialism seems far removed from this languid waterway, which is romantic by nature and by name: Love River.

The history of Love River is the history of Kaohsiung. The river has humble, manmade origins: it was created by Dutch settlers in the 17th century to drain nearby marshland. Through subsequent Japanese and, ultimately, Chinese administrations, the river served both as a water source for industry and as an open sewer. Similarly, Kaohsiung was used and abused, and by the mid-20th century it was choking under the pollution pumped out by a forest of factory smokestacks.

Both river and city have been transformed in recent years. Following a sustained cleanup – and the long-overdue installation of a modern sewerage system beneath the city – Love River’s name now seems less ironic, and it has become a living symbol of civic pride. Meanwhile, the city has benefited from zoning laws that have pushed the factories to the outskirts, and also from an economic shift away from heavy industry and toward new technologies and the service industries.

Through all the changes, one thing has remained constant: Kaohsiung’s auspicious geography. The city is built beside the finest natural harbor in Taiwan, sheltered by Cijin Island, which forms a breakwater against the storms of the Taiwan Strait. Each year, more than 18,000 ships use the container port (http://www.khb.gov.tw/english), making it the fifth busiest in the world. A $711 million investment program will expand the port still further.

The ferry service that departs every five to 10 minutes from the city to Cijin is the ideal way to get your bearings and to experience the busy port in action. Looking back at the city, you can’t fail to be impressed by the dominant landmark – the Tuntex 85 Sky Tower – which consists of two 35-floor towers seemingly clasping between them another tower, which rises to 1,140 feet. Only one skyscraper in the United States, the Sears Tower, is taller.

On completion in 1997, the Tuntex 85 Sky Tower was the tallest building in Taiwan. But the title was soon lost to the Taipei 101 Tower, thus symbolizing in giant architecture the fierce rivalry that has always existed between Taiwanfs two principal cities. That rivalry will be set aside in October, when a new $13 billion, 213-mile-long high-speed rail link is scheduled to begin operations. The new service, which will carry up to 300,000 people each day, will cut the journey time from 41.2 hours to 90 minutes, and will further fuel Kaohsiungfs remarkable economic growth . as will the construction of the Kaohsiung metro, projected to be completed in 2007.

In daylight, viewed from the Cijin ferry, the successes and continuing ambitions of this energetic city are plain to see. Yet at night, beside the Love River, it is heartening to discover that Kaohsiung has not lost its romantic streak.

LODGING

As you would expect for such a go-ahead Asian city, Kaohsiung is well served by plush and efficient business hotels. Most of the top properties are located in the Chienchin district on the east bank of Love River, a district that is also the prime shopping area.

THE SPLENDOR KAOHSIUNG

Occupying floors 37 to 79 of the Tuntex 85 Sky Tower, the 592-room Splendor (formerly Grand Formosa) ranks as the highest hotel in Taiwan. Height means fabulous views, especially on the harbor side. All the rooms feature the latest technology, including free broadband Internet access. The hotel boasts an exclusive ladies’ floor, as well as nonsmoking floors. Most of the bars and restaurants make us e of the stunning vistas, especially the 75th Lounge – the perfect place for an afternoon cocktail. $$$
THE SPLENDOR KAOHSIUNG
1 Tzu-Chiang 3rd Road
tel 886 7 566 8000, fax 886 7 566 8080
http://www.thesplendor.com

GRAND HI-LAI HOTEL

The 550-room Grand Hi-Lai is the Splendor’s main competitor for the crown of best hotel in town. Located in an imposing neoclassical skyscraper within the commercial district, the hotel is sumptuously furnished with 1,200 works of art from China and Europe. The fully equipped rooms on the executive floors are tailored to the demands of international business travelers. Other facilities include a pool, a health club, a business center and 17 restaurants. $$$
GRAND HI-LAI HOTEL
266 Chengkung 1st Road
Chienchin District
tel 886 7 216 1766, fax 886 7 216 1966
http://www.grand-hilai.com.tw

HOWARD PLAZA HOTEL KAOHSIUNG

The homegrown Howard hotel chain has outposts throughout Taiwan. The Kaohsiung property is not especially flashy, but it does the job for the weary business traveler, providing a decent level of comfort and everything you would expect in the way of facilities. Strategically situated in the business district, a 15-minute drive from the international airport, the Howard Plaza puts all the key areas of downtown Kaohsiung within easy walking distance. $$
HOWARD PLAZA HOTEL KAOHSIUNG
311 Chihsien 1st Road
tel 886 7 236 2323, fax 886 7 235 8383
http://3w.howard-hotels.com.tw

DINING

If you like Chinese food, you won’t go hungry in Kaohsiung, where you have your choice of upscale restaurants, rustic street stalls and everything in between.You’ll also find all the usual fast-food franchises, as well as a number of foreign pubs and eateries catering mainly to the city’s population of Western expatriates.

SZECHUAN COURT RESTAURANT

The decor is classically Chinese, and the food is spicy – as you would expect if you are familiar with the regional variations of Chinese food, for the cuisine of western China’s Szechuan province makes generous use of chili peppers. Authenticity is the watchword at this fine restaurant, located on the 20th floor of the Ambassador Hotel. See for yourself by sampling such delicacies as kung pao chicken and Szechuan hotpot. $$$$
SZECHUAN COURT RESTAURANT
Ambassador Hotel
202 Minsheng 2nd Road
tel 886 7 211 5211
http://www.ambassadorhotel.com.tw

NOAH’S ARK SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND BAR
Seafood has been an integral part the Kaohsiung diet ever since the earliest settlers arrived here. The food source may be the same as it has always been, but the ambience of this smart downtown restaurant is decidedly 21st century. You can eat inside, or out on the pleasant, pond-fringed patio. Dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., after which the restaurant switches into smoky bar mode, and remains open until 3 a.m. $$
NOAH’S ARK SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND BAR
21 Jongshan 1st Road
tel 886 7 231 8588

BAGEL BAGEL 3

Providing homes away from home for disoriented Westerners in Kaohsiung, Bagel Bagel has three outlets dotted around the city. Number 3 is in the heart of downtown, where it serves – surprise, surprise – homemade bagels, along with a range of other familiar snacks. The three restaurants are focal points for the expat community: you can swap books here, or leave messages on the bulletin board. Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. $
BAGEL BAGEL 3
158 Minsheng 1st Road
tel 886 7 22 3377

SHOPPING

Kaohsiung has plenty of glitzy, air-conditioned, modern shopping malls and department stores, where you will find the usual range of internationally familiar brands. The latest of these, the $930 million Dream Mall beside the harbor, is scheduled to open at the end of this year. Many of Kaohsiung’s shopping streets specialize in specific products. Shingjung Road has a high concentration of florists. Nanhua Road is good for clothes. Jiangao 2nd Road is the place for cheap computers and electronics. There are also several specialized markets, including the Jade Market on Tzuli Road, which is best visited on Wednesday mornings. At Little Harbor, seven miles from downtown, you can buy items from some of the 200 ships scrapped here each year – a great place to pick up unusual nautical artifacts. One of the most popular markets is Liuho Night Market, south of the railway station, where you’ll find dozens of stalls serving cheap snacks.

SIGHTSEEING

Arrive by air, sea, rail or road, and your first impression of Kaohsiung will probably be of modern and apparently unending urban sprawl. To fully gauge the extent of the city, visit the top of Shou Shan (Longevity Mountain Scenic Area) on the western side of the city. If the panorama is obscured by smog (as it often is), there are pleasant walking trails where you’ll probably encounter wild monkeys. Another great place for a stroll is Lotus Lake, a manmade lake that lies within a 30-minute taxi ride from downtown. Numerous statues, pagodas, pavilions and temples are scattered around the lakeshore. Of particular interest are the Confucius Temple, the largest such temple in Taiwan, and the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas – for luck, you must enter through the mouth of the giant dragon sculpture and exit through the mouth of the tiger.

Buddhism underpins life in Taiwan. The most important Buddhist site in the country is Fokuang Shan (Light of Buddha Mountain), an extensive complex of shrine halls and pagodas situated in picturesque hills an hour’s drive northeast of Kaohsiung. The country’s tallest Buddha, 105 feet high, stands near the entrance, surrounded by 480 life-size statues of his disciples.

Back in town, the impressive Museum of Fine Arts (http://www.kmfa.gov.tw) houses an extensive collection of ancient and contemporary art, and also plays host to important temporary exhibitions of Chinese and Western art. For more information about things to do in the city, visit the municipal Web site at http://www.kcg.gov.tw.

After dark, there are plenty of excellent pubs and nightclubs you can visit in the downtown area, centered on Wufu 4th Road on the west bank of Love River. For more-highbrow pursuits, ask your hotel concierge what’s on at the Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center, the city’s premier venue for the performing arts.

INFO TO GO

Domestic and international flights arrive at Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH), a 15-minute drive east of downtown. The taxi fare is approximately $12, and there is also frequent shuttle bus service. Many streets in Kaohsiung are divided into numbered sections for ease of navigation: for example, Wufu Road is divided into the segments 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Once you get the hang of it, it’s quite straightforward.