Best View of Kaohsiung: Dongzhaoshan 高雄最好的風景：東照山

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Where is the best view of the third biggest city in Taiwan? Some may say it is the 85, or Shoushan, but actually I think that the best view can be found at Dongzhaoshan Coffee in Dashu District. 

The first time I came across Dongzhaoshan Coffee was while riding my bike through the hills of Dashu. When I saw it, my immediate thought was 'this is where I want to live for the rest of my life.' The coffee shop sits directly on a hilltop that offers views from Pingtung to Tainan, with K-town in center view.

Price:
You have to buy something from the restaurant there in order to enter. A meal can be anywhere from 150-200 per person. Well worth it in my opinion.
Alternatively, you can enjoy the view from the road in front for free, although you can't see as much from there.

Hours:
10 AM - 10:30 PM. Closed on Tuesdays.

Accommodation
We have stayed at and recommend Chao She Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) IHI Sanduo Travel Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here), and Mingli Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Hotels.com here) which are three inexpensive and high quality choices in downtown Kaohsiung. I also have stayed at and recommend Kaohsiung Meinong Rabbit Paul Homestay B&B (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, or Trip.com here), a quiet B&B in rural Meinong, and Chengching Lakeside Resort​ (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com or Trip.com here)and the Grand Hotel Kaohsiung (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here) which both offer breakfast buffet and free entrance into Chenqing Lake Park. I have also stayed at the 85 sky tower which offers great views of the city; you can search for rooms in the 85 sky tower on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here).
Find out more about where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. 

Tours:
You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as Pier 2, Meinong Hakka Museum, Hamasen Railway Museum, Suzuka Circuit Park, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, National Science and Technology Museum , Senya Village Restaruant, Austin Land, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and many more on Klook here or KKday here.

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

How to get There:
By Car or Bike: Take county highway 186 to Dashu, then turn left on Zhongyi Road. Once you pass the Guandi Temple, there is a small road to the right next to the parking lot. Dongzhao Coffee is at the top of the hill, and there is free parking! Looking for scooter rental in Kaohsiung? You can check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can check also out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can search Qeeq here, KKday here, or Klook here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bus: Go to Dadong MRT station and take the bus all the way to Guandi Temple (this will take about an hour and a half). After that, it's a five minute walk up the hill to Dongzhao Coffee. You can book tickets to travel to Kaohsiung via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Kaohsiung  via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
You can also book a Kaohsiung Travel pass here. ​

Please refer to the map below:

Experiencing the View:

Once you make it to the top of the mountain, get past the barking dogs, and buy a meal, you can finally enjoy the view. On top of the coffee house is a raised pavilion from which you can see sweeping views all the way from Pingtung to Tainan.

The main tourist attraction in the area is of course the Yida world mall and theme park. You can see the Ferris wheel from here. 

To the left, you can see downtown Dashu and Pingtung City across the river.

In the foreground above you can see the industrial districts of Niaosong and Daliao, and in the background is downtown Donggang.

Here is more of the industrial district of Daliao, as well as the Linyuan Petrol refinery park in the background.

In the background are high rises in Fengshan and Xiaogang district, with petrol refineries and ship factories in the background, and the Taiwan straight.

From here you can also see Qianzhen district, with the 85 Sky tower and the rest of downtown Kaohsiung.

In the foreground here you can see Cheng Ching Lake and the Kaohsiung Yuanshan Hotel.

Here you can see Zuoying and Sanmin Districts along with the 55 storey world trade center building.

Further to the north you can find the petrol chemical plants in Nanzi District.

The Renwu District Incineration plant as well as Nanzi suburbs in the background.

More suburbs of Dashe and Gangshan up to the border of Tainan.

View of Daliao district with the local Fengshan Presbyterian Church in the foreground.

Another view of the sunset over Renwu and Nanzi Districts.

This spot is also a popular spot for taking and stroll and cycling. These locals know where its at. 

Another view of Downtown. Yes, that is an airplane next to the 85.

Behind the Coffee house is a grassy area with outdoor tables. There is also a small playground and outdoor bathroom.

If you come on a day with decent weather, you will not be disappointed. I recommend watching the sunset.

There were some clouds in the way before the sun completely went down, but it made for a fireball like effect.

Dusk falls over K-town.

Night is also a fantastic time to enjoy the city views.

View of Pingtung at night.

The Yida Ferris wheel also lights up.

National highway 10 through Niaosong District.

Despite some power lines in the way, Dongzhaoshan has arguably the best view of anywhere in Kaohsiung, and perhaps all of Taiwan for that matter. We highly recommend going there; you will not be disappointed. 

Be sure to like, follow, and share!

You can find more tours and activities in Kaohsiung such as wake boarding, water skiing, SUP paddle boarding, Pier 2, i-Ride Kaohsiung Visual 5D Flying Theater, Ski School Indoor Ski Slope, and more on Klook here or KKday here.

You can check out our full travel guide to Kaohsiung here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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