(2002 est. pop. 1.5 million). Kaohsiung (in Pinyin, Gaoxiong) is Taiwan's second-largest city. It is situated on the southwest coast of the island. The city was founded during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and was under Dutch occupation from 1624 to 1660. In 1863, Kao-hsiung became a treaty port for trade with the European colonial powers. During the Japanese occupation (1895–1945) of Taiwan, Kao-hsiung was transformed into a major industrial center, and the port sustained heavy damage during World War II. The port was rebuilt, and in the 1970s and 1980s it became Taiwan's single-most important seaport, covering an area of 154 square kilometers. It has shipyards, steel mills, and other heavy industry, as well as Asia's biggest oil refinery with large petrochemical industries. Thus, it is not surprising that the city is among the most heavily polluted in Taiwan. The port also has a large fleet of fishing boats, and agricultural products are exported from Kao-hsiung by ship. Kao-hsiung is of strategic importance with its big naval base. The city enjoys equal status with Taipei and is administered directly by an executive committee ( yuan) instead of the Taiwan provincial government. Kaohsiung has a university and several higher education institutions and an international airport.
Further Reading
Knapp, Ronald G. (1980) China's Island Frontier: Studies in the Historical Geography of Taiwan. Honolulu, HI: University Press of Hawaii.
Lu, Miaofang, ed. (1999) Gaoxiong jianzhu san bainian (The Architectural Beauty of Kao-hsiung 1683–2000). Gaoxiong: Gaoxiong shilu meishuguan.
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