Kaohsiung, with its fine natural harbour, has a history spanning almost three and a half centuries. The Ching Dynasty established a county government here in 1661, During the Japanese colonial occupation of Taiwan, which lasted from 1895 to 1945, Kaohsiung was first designated a district land then, in 1924 a ‘city’. On July 1,1979,the government of the Republic of China officially honoured the city by designating it the second special municipality in the Taiwan Area (the first is Taipei), directly under the ad-ministration of the Executive Yuan.

As the second largest city in Taiwan and third largest container harbour in the world, Kaohsiung has developed rapidly in recent years and is quickly acquiring the attributes of a modern, international metropolis.