Hamasen - Then & Now / 哈瑪星今與昔
The area of Hamasen used to be regarded as the main business district of Kaohsiung, and used to boast the busiest roads and ports where frequent shipping transport of as the origin of Kaohsiung, the area that was first developed.
Most people are probably unaware of how the name "Hamasen" came about; it comes from the Japanese language meaning, 'shoreline', and the area got it's name during the Japanese Occupation Era.
Even though it has been half a century since the Japanese left Hamasen, the streets still maintain their original look.
However, within the last two years, the government, in cooperation with the local citizens, have been working together to build a wharf for the residents of Kaohsiung, in addition to that of the business port in Hamasen. With spectacular surrounding views of mountains and ocean, Hamasen is always full of visitors on the weekends and public holidays.
The Hamasen area, including many of its buildings have been well-maintained giving visitors a historical and nostalgic feeling. For example, the British Consulate, which was built in 1865, was the first European-designed building to appear in Kaohsiung. The arched hallways and obvious rifle holes in the basement are the building's most distinguishing features, which have made it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Unfortunately, the building was damaged numerous times by typhoons, which led to its reconstruction in 1986. The building now has a cafe that serves light refreshments, with a special foreign atmosphere.
There is an old wall named Hsiung-Jhen North Gate (pronounced Hsiung Jhen Bei Men), which can be found as you walk along the No. 1 Pier, before entering Hsitzuwan. It was built in 1681 from mixed soil and bricks and has five small walls with a hole on the main gate, used for spying over. At that time, the gate was on the way to Fong-Shan, and therefore served as strategic guarding gate. Despite the Hsiung-Jhen North Gate being more than 300 years old, it's still sitting there strongly.
No. 1 Pier is part of Gushan fishing port and holds fishing boats as well as small cargo vessels, not to mention the ferries that travel between Gushan and Cijin. The Kaohsiung City Government has recently proposed to open a yachting wharf at the No. 1 Pier, which is sure to make the atmosphere within the area even more relaxing.
Visitors to Hamasen are never deprived of food and drink. The area boasts a wide variety of Taiwanese snacks, particularly at the Dai-Tian Temple Square, as well as many restaurants such as the "Hao-Wang-Jiao", located at the former Gushan fish market, and the No. 1 Pier restaurant at the Shao-Chuan-Tou Park. The Hao-Wan-Jiao restaurant is that of a grass-hut style, reminiscent of Southeast Asian style, which makes the customers feel as though they are having a meal in Bali. The two restaurants are located on each side of the harbour giving patrons a view of the ships cruising in.
When walking along Bin-Hai 2nd Road, you can't help but notice the colorful road beneath your feet. Made out of a combination of asphalt and man-made china-stones, the red and green make Hamasen more exuberant. Bin-Hai 2nd Road is 508 metres long and it leads to Gu-Shan ferry wharf. Running from Lin-Hai 2nd Road in the north, and ending at Bin-Hai 1st Road in the south, it is the 1st-made colorful asphalt road in Kaohsiung.
您可知道「哈瑪星」這個不中不西的怪地名的由來嗎？其實它是「濱線」的日語發音「Hama Sen」，當時的哈瑪星不僅是高雄陸海交通樞紐，同時也是高雄的行政中心，說它是高雄的發源地，一點也不為過。
半個世紀過了，哈瑪星的街廓並未因日本人離開而有明顯的變化，倚山傍海的天然美景卻反而愈發亮麗耀眼，近兩年來，更在政府與民間的通力合作下，打造出海岸碼頭的休閒風情，每逢週休假日，人潮就把這裡擠得水洩不通。
在這個老舊的部落裡，處處都流露歷史的刻痕，許多老舊建物至今仍保存完整，值得一覽，像是位於哨船頭山丘的前清英國領事館，建於1685年的英國領事館為台灣第一座洋樓，精美的紅磚建築，兩側皆設有拱型迴廊，排列方式顯現後文藝復興時期的建築美感，並可避開南台灣炎日及驟雨，達到冬暖夏涼的功效，該館於賽洛瑪颱風時慘遭破壞，在1986年修復，目前外包給民間管理經營，並提供餐飲服務。
循一號船渠轉進西子灣前，會看到一座城門，上書「雄鎮北門」四個大字，原來這是鄭經1681年在哨船頭信號山麓構築的城門，城牆為三合土及紅磚砌成，門上有５個雉堞，有窺孔供瞭望戌守之用，是旗後鎮北門戶，扼控海疆險要，是當時旗後往鳳山地區的必經之地。此城門屹立至今已三百多年，歷經風吹雨打，雄風依舊。
第一船渠是鼓山漁港的一部分，船渠內除了漁船外，還有往來鼓山、旗津間的渡輪行駛及小貨船停泊，第一船渠最近也經由市政府的規劃設計，開闢遊艇碼頭，各式各樣的遊艇泊靠後，讓第一船渠呈現出另一種不同的休閒風情。
吃、喝、玩、樂向來不分家。到哈瑪星不用擔心沒有好吃或好喝的，哈瑪星代天宮廟埕廣場的各樣台灣小吃，不怕你吃，就怕你沒有肚量。位在舊鼓山魚市場的「好望角」與哨船頭公園的「一號船渠」是兩家新開幕的休閒餐廳，隔港相望，其中「好望角」更令人有如來到巴里島度假村的感覺，店裡以深具南洋氣息的茅草屋型造景，每到晚上幾十幾百個屋簷便閃亮著各色小燈泡點綴港灣的黑幕；偶見大船徐徐入港，海風輕拂，感覺十分愜意。
走在濱海二路的您，是否發現腳下踩的柏油路不太一樣，沒錯，通往鼓山輪渡站的濱海二路，北自臨海二路、南迄濱海一路，全長508公尺，可是高雄市第一條彩色瀝青馬路呢，所謂「彩色瀝青」即熱拌彩色瀝青混凝土，它是用無色瀝青及人造加工彩色瓷石的粗骨材、細骨材、填充料及染色劑結合而成，紅、綠相間，把哈瑪星點綴的更為多采多姿。