Waterfront Wharves, a Vigorous Economy, and Convenient Transportation Kaohsiung, a Waterfront City on the Rise / 水岸碼頭、活躍經濟到便捷交通 高雄水岸城市．迅速起飛
◎By Jessica Lin ◎Photos by Chung-Hui Pao
Behold Love River on an afternoon. With a leisurely and free-spirited atmosphere, a few sailboats float on rippleless water, illuminated by the sun and stroked by a breeze. These images are none other than the peaceful beauty of Kaohsiung's riverbanks.
The emergence of Kaohsiung originates from Love River and so does the renovation of the waterfront. The city government has dedicated its resources to preserving Kaohsiung's rivers, surrounding ocean, and the port. Waterfront wharves have become the city's distinctive landmark, and have contributed to Kaohsiung's next wave of development.
Cruise on the Heart of Love River
Love River, 16 kilometers in length, winds its way through many of the busiest regions in Kaohsiung, and therefore plays an integral part in people's lives. Once contaminated by industrial waste water, it has now been beautified after seven or eight years of effort in sewerage construction and rebuilding of its riverbanks. The city government has made Love River a legend and the ultimate place to spend a few lazy hours.
The current day Love River has a much improved water quality allowing it to nurture various varieties of fish and shrimps. Delicate bridges and riverside parks add a nice touch to the river, with fields and wetlands lining certain parts of the river. Kaohsiung Municipal Film Archive, Museum of History, Museum of Fine Arts, and Sewerage Museum along the riverbanks illustrate the cultural beauty of Love River.
Love River enriches people's lives, while the Love River Cruise Project creates a romantic scenic spot. The city government is responsible for establishing the 6-kilometer cruise along Love River starting from the wharf between Jian-Guo Bridge and Kaohsiung Bridge and ending between Bo-Ai Road and the river mouth. Besides, Bo-Ai Bridge is surrounded by two lakes in the shape of a heart, hence the name "Ru-Yi Lake, Heart of Love River". The lake on the west side is used for boats to turn around, and the walkways over the water, as well as an S-shaped lover's bridge spanning the lake, will be completed by the end of 2006. The construction of the sewerage system is under way to eliminate pollution and indirectly promote tourism.
After the Heart of Love River is completed, people can cruise by Ren-Ai Park, Museum of History, and Museum of Fine Arts to enjoy an ecological, historical, scenic, and cultural ride. Coffee aromas radiate from riverside cafes, inviting people to enjoy this relaxing moment.
Embrace the Port City
Besides Love River, visiting newly refurbished ports in Kaohsiung have also become a popular leisure pastime, owing to the government's efforts in strengthening collaboration between port districts and the city at large. At the mouth of Love River, near Kaohsiung Port, Pier 12 is renovated and given the name "True Love Pier", from which tourists are bound for Shinguang Ferry Wharf, bay area, and Cijin. With the Love River valley near by and the development of Dock Number 3, people can enjoy river and ocean views at the same time.
Banana Canopy Observation Deck allows public access to the port. Piers 1 through but as a venue for people to appreciate big boats at work while drinking coffee. Pier 13 was once for military use, but it has now been renovated to attract more tourists. It is called the "Honorary Pier", located at the mouth of Love River and across from True Love Pier.
Pier 22, Singuang Ferry Wharf, is regarded as one of the most important ocean gateways by the central government. It also marks the start of the Blue Highway. With the Starlight Waterfront Park and Singuang Avenue near by, Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau will build a transit center at Pier 21 to welcome international visitors via cruises, and establish Kaohsiung's global image.
The Hungmao Harbor near Port Two has already been moved, so this area will be combined with other wharves into a cross-continental cargo center. In the future, the emergence of a multi-functional industrial park, science park, bio-technology park, and incubation center will feed an ongoing surge in employment.
Business Boosts Prosperity
While Kaohsiung enhances its distinctiveness in the waterfront area, industrial and commercial activities show unprecedented growth. Old industrial land and waterfront wharves are transformed into a 587-acred multi-functional industrial park, providing economic, recreational, cultural, stop-off, and storage services which can be served as an untapped market niche for Kaohsiung's industrial transformation.
Among those businesses, the Dream Mall, which Uni-President Enterprises Corp. invested NT$30 billion into, is in the lead. It has a Ferris wheel - "the Eye of Kaohsiung" on top. Large-scale superstores like Carrefour and IKEA are open for business, and the headquarters of China Steel and movie cinemas will be open in 2007. Taiwan Power Company-sponsored ocean theme-parks, exotic shops, food courts, theme restaurants, energy museums, gyms, office buildings, commercial residence, along with the development of science parks and bio-technology parks, will drive the economy in Kaohsiung.
Moreover, Kaohsiung MRT will begin to operate in 2008. THSR Zuoying Station is now in use, offering three different transportation lines. It's the only station that has a ground-floor platform that is 21 meters in height, not to mention the elegant, white steel piers that it boasts. The station represents a step forward for Kaohsiung's transportation and makes it possible for people to visit more places in one day on the main island of Taiwan. The waterfront city, Kaohsiung, is surely building a brighter future for itself.
◎文／林昀熹 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉
午後時分，陽光輕灑、微風徐徐，愛河寧靜的水面上，幾艘帆船正敏捷地練習著，悠閒的氣氛中帶有精神奕奕的活力，這就是高雄最具代表性的水岸景象之一。
愛河是高雄地區發展的源頭，也是高雄市打造水岸城市的開端；近年高雄市政府投入相當大的人力、物力，經營高雄的河、海、港，讓水岸碼頭成為城市的鮮明主軸，也為高雄注入無限的希望。
愛河之心．浪漫溯航
全長16公里的愛河，流經高雄市區大部分的精華地段，長久以來與高雄市民生活息息相關。儘管過去曾經遭受工業廢水的汙染，然而高雄市政府近七、八年來以污水下水道建設與沿岸改造工程雙管齊下，使得愛河從內到外全然蛻變，成為高雄的浪漫傳奇，也是市民最喜愛的休閒活動去處。
如今我們所看見的愛河，水質提昇、魚蝦成群，一座座亮麗的橋樑與親水設施讓沿岸景觀賞心悅目，綿延的綠地與生態溼地則增添河流生機，而沿岸的電影圖書館、歷史博物館、美術館、下水道展示館等博物館群，更塑造出「愛河文化流域」，讓河邊散發人文氣息。
愛河串連了高雄人的生活與文化，而「愛河之心－愛之船溯航計畫」則串連了愛河的景點與整體浪漫氣息。原本愛河上就有觀光船在下游建國橋與高雄橋之間航行，現在市府更將其往上游拓展，將愛之船行駛路線自河口上溯至博愛路，讓遊河路線拉長至６公里，並且在博愛橋兩側塑造出一座「愛河之心如意湖」，兩座湖共同形成可愛的心型，西側湖是迴船區，湖面上則設計有跨越河道、優美的Ｓ型情人橋，2006年底就完成；並且週邊污水下水道建設及用戶接管工作也配合進行，減少河段污染，提高遊河品質。
「愛河之心」完成後，愛之船將可沿著仁愛公園碼頭、歷史博物館碼頭、美術館碼頭，一路串聯沿岸公園與博物館，進行一趟結合生態、歷史、景觀、人文藝術的溯航之旅，加上河畔露天咖啡座散發迷人咖啡香，享受從容的河畔時光。
享受開闊港灣城市
除了河流，港灣更是高雄的一大特色，尤其在「市港合一」的政策下，高雄的港灣，碼頭也紛紛改頭換面，成為最熱門的水岸休憩區域。
在愛河出海口、與高雄港相連處，市府將河、港交接處的12號碼頭精心改造為「真愛碼頭」，由此可搭乘觀光遊艇前往新光碼頭、高雄港區與旗津，連結愛河流域，結合緊鄰的３號船渠之開發，不但可讓市民朋友同攬河海風光，更將水岸觀光延伸向海洋。
同時香蕉棚觀海台讓人得以親近港區，１至３號碼頭則被開闢為漁人碼頭，除了是澎湖客輪服務中心，也成為讓市民邊欣賞大船入港、邊啜飲咖啡的休閒去處。而曾經為軍用的13號碼頭退役後，市府接管改造為「光榮碼頭」，成為與「真愛碼頭」相對、愛河出海口的優雅休憩空間。
此外22號「新光碼頭」，更獲中央政府選為台灣重要海洋門戶之一，也是藍色公路的起點；結合周邊的星光水岸公園與新光大道，高雄港務局也同步在21號碼頭辦理高雄港客運中心之規劃興建，以迎接國際郵輪觀光客，為高雄打造國際級門戶環境。
在此同時，位於高雄港二港口附近的紅毛港已進行遷村，該地區將結合高雄港其它碼頭成為「高雄港洲際貨櫃中心」，未來在多功能經貿園區、軟體科學園區、生物科技園區等專業園區和育成中心的相繼設置下，必將開創另一番全新局面！
經濟交通帶動繁榮
高雄逐漸呈現出水岸城市特色的同時，產業與商業活動也正蓬勃發展開來。例如面積廣達587公頃的多功能經貿園區，即結合過去的工業用地、水岸碼頭，進行涵蓋貿易、休閒、文化、水岸休憩、倉儲等特定區的開發，是高雄產業轉型的利基。
其中統一企業以300億元投資興建的「統一夢時代」購物中心，即將以「高雄之眼」摩天輪點亮高雄商機；家樂福、ＩＫＥＡ等大型商場也紛紛落成營運，而中鋼的企業總部以及電影城，則將在2007年陸續啟用。園區中還將有台電投資、以海洋為主題之休閒館主題館、異國購物街、美食街、主題餐廳，以及主題能源館、健身中心、企業辦公大樓及商務住宅等，加上軟體科學園區與生物科技園區的開發，不但商業機能迅速活絡，也帶動高雄的經濟運轉。
另一方面，高雄捷運將於2008年通車；同時高鐵左營站也已啟用，三鐵共構的高鐵左營站是高鐵站中唯一的地面式月台，挑高21
米、潔淨的白色鋼骨線條俐落氣派，它的啟用象徵著寶島一日生活圈的時代即將來臨，讓高雄市實際邁入交通新紀元，水岸城市高雄也將隨之步入未來嶄新的局面。