5 Best Shopping in Kaohsiung

Among the biggest malls in Asia, Dream Mall spreads across 400,000 sq m, of major international brands and entertainment complexes. It has everything from a cinema to a gym to a rooftop Ferris wheel – the famous Kaohsiung Eye.

When it comes to shopping, there are around 2,300 stores to choose from, including top and mid-range brands from Taiwan and around the globe. Other than the 10 floors of shopping, you’ll find a food court spread over the 2 underground floors, with restaurants spread throughout the building.

Shinkuchan Shopping District is a favourite with the younger generation. Located around Yuzhu Street, the stores and hawkers sell here often stock the newest tech gadgets at cheap prices. If you’re looking for anything electronic, this is definitely the place to head.

There are 3 big-brand beauty stores in the Shinkuchan Shopping District, as well as some trendy fashion shops. When night falls, the area becomes a night market, which inevitably brings out a good range of food stalls. Book a hotel in Shinkuchan to visit the shopping area on foot.

Singda Harbour Fish Market is quite a long drive from central Kaohsiung, but is worth it if you want to get your hands on fresh seafood. Here you will get crabs, oysters, shrimp, octopus, eel, and all kinds of fish, plus seafood snacks at the food stalls. Look out for the local specialities, including mullet roe and dried flatfish. The market gets extremely crowded on the weekends.

The Nanhua Night Market, located around Datong Road and Nanhua Road in the Xinxing District, is a shopping heaven for ladies. You’ll find all kinds of shops for clothing and accessories here, all very well priced, and with the option to bargain for even lower prices. There are some choices for men and children, but the overwhelming majority of the stalls cater to women. There are also a few food stalls available.

One of the most famous spots in Taiwan, the Liuhe Night Market offers an enthralling overall experience. It’s most famous for its open-air eating joints and especially the seafood. Make sure you try the eel spaghetti.

Items for sale here include handicrafts, electronic gadgetry, knives and even monkeys! This is an unusual market in that you can barter item for item at some stalls. You can trade your used stuff for something you might actually need and use for a long time to come.