Kaohsiung Museum of History

Standing beside Love River, Kaohsiung Museum of History used to be the office for Kaohsiung City Government. Constructed by the Japanese during the colonial era in 1939, the building features an exterior that reveals the popular Japanese architectural style in that time. Because the Sino-Japanese war had broken out, and probably because the later Pacific War was taken into consideration, the exterior takes on a camouflage light green color to avoid being bombed by enemies. The turret on the main structure serves as the highest point of the whole building, providing a great vantage point. Together with the two symmetrical secondary turrets on the both sides, the museum was once the most magnificent building in the city. Moreover, the windows come in a variety of shapes, such as octagonal windows, peach-shaped windows, and lunette windows, while the walls are carved with diverse patterns. The exposed ceramic drains are also a rare Japanese architectural style. As for the interior, the museum combines architectural styles from the East and West, introducing natural light from the atrium formed by the windows surrounding the main tower. Along with the Y-shaped staircase and the beautiful arched corridors on both sides, the hallway in the gallery appears solemn.

Exhibitions in the museum include life and religious activities of the aborigines in Kaohsiung. More importantly, when the 228 Incident broke out in 1947, the museum witnessed some of the tragic moments on the spot. Therefore, the museum also collects some historical materials about the origin and process of the incident. Although the collection is not quite extensive, the museum is still worth a drop by if you're traveling in Yancheng District from Love River to the Pier-2 Art Center.