Melo Villareal
Travel Guide: Love River in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s second-largest city. The city is famous for its Love River, which has been the city’s main focal point for ages. The river cuts through Kaohsiung from the south down to the north at the Kaohsiung Port over a length of 12 kilometers.
Kaohsiung Lover River at Night
This stunning, peaceful river was once heavily polluted by untreated industrial water and raw sewage. But after government intervention, Love River now serves as a major sightseeing attraction with love boats, duck boats, and gondola rides available for tourists to enjoy the view of the city.
Love River was originally known as the Takao River, and later the Kaohsiung River. The name ‘Love River’ was popularly adopted in the late 1940s after a couple committed suicide in the river.
The river also has immense cultural significance to locals in Kaohsiung and plays a significant role in the city’s economy and tourism development. Love River is to Kaohsiung what the Thames River is to London or the Seine to Paris. Along the banks of the river, you can find Lover River Park, which houses the night market and cafes.
The most popular tourist activity along the Love River is boat tours, though visitors can also cycle or take a lovely walk.
Gondola Ride at Night Experience
Since the river is a public spot, visiting is free. Arrive at around 6.30 as the sun begins to set for a gondola ride, which costs between $3 and $9. As the cruise takes you down the river, you will witness the Kaohsiung skyline awash with lively colors as the buildings are lit up.
Each gondola has a different theme that changes every night, featuring Chinese and English songs. Before the ride starts, you will be offered life jackets for safety reasons.
As you cruise the Love River, a guide will be telling you brief histories about numerous attractions along the way and also about the gondola. If you are lucky, you might encounter a gondolier who will serenade your group as you cruise the beautiful river.
Among the attractions to see from Love River are Holy Rosary Cathedral, Kaohsiung District Court, Kaohsiung Bridge, and many more.
If you don’t feel like taking a boat or gondola ride, the banks of Love River are filled with parks and gardens, where you can take long romantic walks or just sit on one of the numerous benches and admire the beautiful landscape and gentle breeze.
There are also several cafes with different themes that serve coffee accompanied by relaxing music. You can also visit nearby attractions after a relaxing walk at the riverside. Wafu 4th Road is also a point of interest in the city, as well as Kaohsiung Film Archive.
How to Get to Love River
Love River runs through the center of the city of Kaohsiung from south to north and can be accessed from virtually everywhere. However, most travelers like coming from Wafu Road as it is the best access road to the Love River and has numerous attractions.
By metro, it takes less than 10 minutes to reach Love River. Take the Orange Line and alight at Yanchengpu (R02), then take the Wafu Road exit and head east towards Love River near Wafu Road.
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Read:
- Best Things to do in Kaohsiung
- Best Hotels in Taipei, Taiwan
- The Ultimate Taipei Travel Guide
- Travel Cheap: How I Spent 3 Days and 2 Nights in Taiwan for Only PHP 10,000
- Tours in Taipei: Exploring the Northeast Coast of Taiwan
- Eight Things I Love About Taiwan
