Qishan Old Street is a historical street in the suburban Qishan District of Kaohsiung City. The town was originally a major industrial hub for distributing sugarcane and bananas. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction and an easy half day trip from Kaohsiung.
When you visit Qishan District, you can see attractions like Qishan Tianhou Temple and Kaohsiung Qishan Confucius Temple in Gushan Park. Then wander along the old street and see the preserved historical buildings with Baroque architectural-style facade and try local snacks like shaved ice and banana desserts.
If you appreciate the old street landscapes and want ideas for a day trip from Kaohsiung, then keep reading. I’ll show you exactly what you can see, buy and eat when you visit Qishan Old Street.
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What you need to know before visiting Qishan Old Street
Before starting your day trip to Qishan, take a look at my post on all my best tips for travelling to Taiwan alone. I included information on getting a Taiwan SIM card, transportation around the country, and more.
Here are a few additional travel tips for searching for spending the day in Qishan:
- Visit Qishan any day except Monday when most places are closed
- You can see the whole town in Qishan in a few hours.
- It is possible to see both Qishan and Fo Guang Shan in one day. See the day trip itinerary near the end of this post.
How to get to Qishan Old Street from Kaohsiung
The easiest way to get to Qishan Old Street from Kaohsiung is by taking E01A Express Bus at THSR Zuoying Bus Station. Once you arrive at Zuoying Station, take Exit 2, take the escalator down and find platform 6 and wait for the next bus going to Qishan District.
E01 Express Bus goes to Qishan (旗山) Bus Station from 6:20am to 8:20pm with two to three buses every hour. The bus journey takes about 40 minutes. It costs about NT$82. Use your EasyCard or iPass.
When you are coming back from Qishan, make sure to catch one of the last few buses back to Kaohsiung. The last bus from Qishan is at 8:20pm.
What to Do in Qishan District
The main attraction in Qishan District is Qishan Old Street. But besides this famous old street, there are other things to see while you spend a few hours in Qishan.
1. Qishan Old Street
I love the old streets in Taiwan. Technically there are “old streets” in every town but what makes them famous enough to be known as the old street of the town is the abundance of historical preserved buildings in one area. And there may be a market or pedestrian area with lots of food stalls selling local snacks.
And in Qishan District, the main avenue is Qishan Old Street. The road is actually called Zhongshan Road, and it is lined with houses built between 1925 and 1930 during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. These preserved historical buildings have Baroque-style facades built with reinforced concrete.
Some houses even have ornate decorative patterns and words to display the family name. When you walk up and down the street, you can notice the classic architecture and details of each building.
Today, many of these houses have transformed into shops and cafes. And part of the street have food vendors spilling onto the road selling local snacks. This is the best place to try local food and buy souvenirs. More on that later.
Address: No. 1, Zhongshan Rd, Qishan District, Kaohsiung City | Hours: 24 hours | Admission: free
2. Kaohsiung Qishan Confucius Temple in Gushan Park
When you visit Kaohsiung Qishan Confucius Temple, take the scenic route up Gushan Park by walking up the Stairs of Art, then enter via the Leaping over the Dragon Gate in the center. It is free to wander around the temple and see various displays. Notice the intricate patterns and details of the temple. The design is similar to other Confucius Temples in Taiwan.
Then follow one or few trails in Gushan Park and see the green park. There is the Circle Trail where you can walk around the entire park. Then follow the Hero Slope Trail which continues on the Peak Trail. Plus, there are several pavilions around the park if you want to take a break.
And if you visit during spring, there are cherry blossom trees near the Detention Basin which is located at the north end of the park.
Address: No. 1, Gushan Park, Qishan District, Kaohsiung City | Hours: 9am-5pm; closed Mondays | Admission: free
3. Historical Buildings in Qishan
Besides visiting the famous old street and the temple in the park, there are a few highlights in the town of Qishan. Here are a few places that you might want to check out:
- Qishan Tianhou Temple (5:30am-10pm; free) – also known as Mazu Temple, as the temple has a shiny black statue of Mazu. It is an important religious centre in Qishan.
- Qishan Wude Hall (9am-6pm; closed Mondays; free) – a Japanese-style temple that was built in 1934. Today, it functions as a temporary exhibition space, an art market and a place for art lectures.
- Qishan St Joseph’s Catholic Church (10am-11pm on Sundays) – closed for visitors but you can still see the building from outside
- Cishan Railway Station (9am-4pm; closed Tuesdays; NT$30) – built in 1915 by Taiwan sugar company for transporting sugar cane from Qishan to Dashu. Today, the Japanese and Western-style building is a railway museum. (But to be honest, there’s not much to see inside especially if you can’t read Chinese)
What to Buy in Qishan District
Every Taiwanese small town has all the essential stores that locals go to. Places like grocery stores, lottery retailers, pharmacies, clothing stores, jewellery stores and liquor stores.
In addition to these essential stores, there are other specialty stores in the Old Street Commercial District. Most of them can be found on Qishan Old Street (which is actually called Zhongshan Road when you look on Google Maps).
1. Handcrafts
There are a couple of stores selling handcrafted items, such as baskets and bags. These are probably everyday items used by locals, but they could also make wonderful souvenirs to bring home.
There are two stores on Qishan Old Street. One is called 微利時代10元商品店旗山店, which is a 10 Dollar Store. The other is a few shops south of it.
2. Banana desserts and souvenirs
Qishan was once a distribution point for bananas and sugarcane. Many stores on Qishan Old Street sell food souvenirs made with either banana or sugarcane. I definitely saw more varieties of banana desserts than sugarcane, though.
Local snack shops on the old street offer samples of the banana crepe roll. You can try some before you buy.
Also look for other sweet treats like banana fritters (a flat dry crepe with banana), banana shaved ice dessert and baked goods made with banana.
What to Eat in Qishan District
1. Local food specialty in Qishan
Because Qishan was once a distribution point for bananas, many food offered in Qishan is made with, you guessed it, bananas.
I noticed there are other Taiwanese food offered in Qishan but I concentrated my efforts on food made with the local fruit. Here’s what I found:
- Spring Rolls 老街春捲 – popiah (Taiwanese fresh spring roll) with traditional ingredients (cabbage, dried tofu, pork and egg) and the special local ingredient, banana
- Banana Ice Cream 旗山老街香蕉清冰 (1-8pm; closed Mondays) – they offer a variety of shaved ice desserts including the popular banana ice cream
- Moon Banana Ice Tea 月亮香蕉冰紅茶 (10am-7pm) – they make fresh banana crepe and also a thirst-quenching ice tea with banana slushy
- Hsiu Ming 旗山秀明豬心冬粉 (7:30am-3:30pm; closed Mondays) – been around since 1866, the small Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant offers pork offal, noodles, braised pork rice and soup.
Other Things to Do around Qishan Old Street
1. Other things to see in Qishan District
When I was researching for all the things to do in Qishan, I noticed that there are other activities near the town. I plan to return to Qishan and explore some of these activities.
- Qishan Sugar Factory (9am-6pm) – the factory is across Qiliu Road (bridge). Try the ice cream.
- Santaoshan Amusement Park (8:30am-5pm) – the theme park is located southwest of the town centre. It looks abandoned but apparently it is open.
- Qishan Night Market (5-10pm Tuesdays & Saturdays) – every Taiwanese town has a night market and Qishan has its own too.
2. Meinong District attractions
Meinong District lies west of Qishan and is one of the four communities in Kaohsiung that focus on Hakka (an Ancient Han Chinese subgroup) culture. The district has many urban villages and some of the highlight includes:
- Yong’an Old Street (24 hours) – see the historic architecture on the scenic street and visit the nearby Meinong Cultural and Creative Center
- Meinong Folk Village (8:30am-5pm) – buy local crafts and enjoy the cuisine of the native Hakka people
- Qiwei Shan – there are three entry points for the Qiwei Mountain hike. It is a challenging and steep climb but you can enjoy the 360 degree view from the pavilion built at the very top which is 318m above sea level.
Day trip itinerary: Fo Guang Shan & Qishan Old Street
It is possible to take a day trip from Kaohsiung and visit both Fo Guang Shan and Qishan Old Street. There are buses that link both places and the bus connection is relatively good.
Base on the bus schedules, it is better to visit Fo Guang Shan first because there aren’t as many buses leaving Buddhist monastery and the last bus is at 6:30pm.
Here are all the logistical information you will need for visiting both places:
Kaohsiung to Fo Guang Shan
- E02 Hafo Express: from Zuoying Bus Station (Platform 3) to Fo Guang Shan Bus Stop (35 minutes; NT$82)
- Take either 8am, (9:20am on weekends & holidays) or 10:10am bus to Fo Guang Shan
Fo Guang Shan to Qishan Old Street
- Bus 8010 or Bus 8009: from Fo Guang Shan Buddha Bus Stop or Museum Bus Stop to Qishan Bus Station (43 minutes; NT$60)
- Bus 8010 leaves Fo Guang Shan at 2:10pm and Bus 8010 Shuttle leaves Fo Guang Shan at 12:25pm and 1:17pm. Double check the bus schedule when you are at the monastery so you don’t miss this bus to Qishan
Qishan Old Street to Kaohsiung
- E01A Express Bus: from Qishan Bus Station to Zuoying Bus Station (40 minutes; NT$82)
- The last bus back to Kaohsiung is at 8:20pm
Is Qishan Old Street worth visiting?
To be honest, I thought Qishan Old Street is just so-so. If you have been to other old streets in Taiwan like Dihua Street in Taipei, then you will be disappointed when you visit Qishan Old Street. The old street is much shorter and smaller in scale. You can practically see the entire street in 30 minutes.
But I think if you have Taiwanese roots and want to travel down memory lane, this might be a good spot to visit.
And it might be easier to visit Qishan if you have your own transportation. Then the journey out of Kaohsiung can be quite fast.
Moreover, there are things to do within the town and places to see just outside of the district. Plus, you could combine the day trip with Fo Guang Shan so you can maximize your day.
Let me know in the comments if you think Qishan Old Street is worth going. I would love to hear your point of view.
Ready to plan your trip to Kaohsiung? Here are some of my go-to travel planning resources:
* Book your flight: find flight deals on Skyscanner
* Book accommodation: find the best Kaohsiung accommodations on Agoda or Booking
* Buy insurance: Safetywing is my go-to provider for travel insurance, as it covers many things. I will never travel without the Nomad Insurance Package because it protects me against unforeseen events. Get a quote today.
* Order a SIM card: order a SIM card in advance, collect it upon arrival, and set up your mobile phone before arriving at your destination. Or find out how and where to get a SIM Card in Taiwan.
* Join tours: check Klook or Get Your Guide for the best tours in Kaohsiung.
Thank you for reading my guide for Qishan Old Street
I have many posts on Taiwan and you might also like these other posts on solo travel in Taiwan:
Introduction to Taiwan
- Things to know before visiting Taiwan
- How and where to buy a Taiwan prepaid SIM card
- How to spend 3 weeks in Taiwan
- 22 must-eat food in Taiwan
- Top 10 must-try Taiwan 7-11 Food
Southern Taiwan posts
- 17 Best things to do in Chiayi Taiwan
- How to travel from Chiayi to Alishan
- Alishan 2-day solo itinerary
- Things to do in Tainan as a solo traveller
- Where to stay in Tainan: Best Areas & Hotel Reviews
- Tainan Food Guide: What & Where to Eat
- 6 Best night markets in Tainan
- 23 Things to do alone in Kaohsiung
- Where to stay in Kaohsiung: Best Areas & Hotel Reviews
- Kaohsiung Food Guide: What and Where to Eat
- 5 Best night markets in Kaohsiung
- Kenting Travel Guide: things to do
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Hi, my name is Queenie, and I’ve been a solo traveller for 20+ years and currently based in Hong Kong. Follow me on my adventures through Instagram and my blog!
