Guomao Community

Kaohsiung


Dramatic residential blocks with curved facades encircle a diaspora community in the Guomao area. The dozen-or-so 12-storey buildings were constructed for the mainland Chinese soldiers of the ROC navy and their families when an old military dependants' village had to be torn down. A self-sufficient community frozen in time, you'll find here barbershops, clinics, a market, a basketball court in red, white and blue (the colours of the ROC flag) and, most famously, shops selling delicious mainland Chinese delicacies.

For ordinary Kaohsiung citizens, the main draw of the Guomao Community is the authentic Peking-style dumplings, Shanghainese pastries, Sichuan cold dishes and Shanxi noodles served at its many ground-floor stalls. You'll also hear more Mandarin than Taiwanese spoken in the area, and some older people may be eager to strike up a conversation in Mandarin with Chinese-looking tourists. The community, sometimes also known as Guomao Military Dependants' Village (果貿海軍眷村; Guǒmào Hǎijūn Juàncūn), is in Zuoying District.

'Guomao Community' (果貿社區; Guǒmào Shèqū) is the 15th stop on the bus route from Kaohsiung Main Station.

Transportation

  • bus: 218

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kaohsiung attractions

1. Dragon & Tiger Pagodas

0.78 MILES

On the southern edge of Lotus Pond are the red-and-yellow seven-storey Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, built in full-blown '70s flamboyance. They're connected…

2. Neiwei Flea Market

0.82 MILES

This sprawling flea market in Neiwei may possibly offer one of the most authentic and fabulous experiences of Taiwan. You'll find everything under the sun…

3. Neiwei Afternoon Market

0.9 MILES

After checking out the wondrous Neiwei Flea Market, hop over to this food bazaar nearby for a cheap-but-satisfying meal of grilled chicken, stuffed buns…

4. Spring & Autumn Pavilions

0.9 MILES

At Lotus Pond, about 180m to the north of the Dragon & Tiger Pagodas are the fun and gaudy Spring & Autumn Pavilions. The two octagonal towers in green…

5. Lotus Pond

1.13 MILES

The scenic pond in the north of the city has been a popular destination since the Qing dynasty and is well known for the 20 or so temples dotting the…

6. Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

1.17 MILES

Set in a large park, this wonderful museum specialises in the works of Taiwanese artists, in particular, painters, sculptors, and installation and digital…

7. Temple of Enlightenment

1.22 MILES

The largest temple in Lotus Pond area began as an ancestral hall for the followers of Koxinga. It was restored and considerably expanded in 1980. The two…

8. Longquan Temple

1.35 MILES

A large temple in the Shoushan Scenic Area, Longquan evokes a set from a period movie. It's said that when a cement company was extracting limestone from…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "taiwan/southern-taiwan/kaohsiung-city/attractions/guomao-community/a/poi-sig/1537722/357545",
      "destination": "Kaohsiung",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Taiwan",
      "city": "Kaohsiung",
      "position": "superzone"
    }