The second largest city in Taiwan (population around 1.45m) with eleven districts, and the island's most significant port (the world's third largest container port after Hong Kong and Singapore). It is an export processing zone - producing aluminum, wood and paper products, fertilizers, cement, metals, machinery and ships. It's subway system, the KMRT, should be running in 2005.
The city grew up from a small village called Dagou in the 17th Century - the name of a local tribe. The Dutch established a fort there in 1624 but were expelled by the Chinese in 1661. Under Chinese control the area was named Wan Nien Chow in 1664. Following a further name change to Takao in the late 1670s the town grew dramatically with immigrants from mainland China. In 1684 Kaohsiung was renamed Fengshan County, and considered a part of Taiwan City. Kaohsiung was first opened as a port during the 1680s. In 1895 Taiwan was ceded to Japan as part of the [Treaty of Shimonoseki]?. The Japanese developed Kaohsiung, especially the harbour. The Japanese named the area Kaohsiung in 1920.
The famous-in-hindsight [Kaohsiung Incident]? of December 1979 occured in the city.
The Old City - Qi Jin, Gu Shan, Yen Cheng, Zuo Ying. Downtown - Xin Xing, Chian Jin and Ling Ya. The bits no-one visits - San Min, Nan Zi, Qian Zhen and Xiao Gang.
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