By Zhen-Kang —

There’s no escaping Christmas

45 photos of Christmas lights in Kaohsiung, Taiwan…

A Christmas tree-like sculpture made of ships’ anchors and string lights, outside a harborside industrial warehouse in Kaohsiung.
Christmas lights at Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 (KW2). Photo: Zhen-Kang.

I’m one of those people: I don’t like Christmas.

In this respect, moving to Taiwan has been great. Only around 7% of Taiwanese identify as Christian, and Christmas has never been a public holiday here. (Although, in 2025—after a 25-year absence—December 25 will again be an unrelated public holiday called Constitution Day.)

But there’s no escaping Christmas. So, here are 45 photos of the (admittedly excellent) Christmas lights I’ve seen this month, here in Kaohsiung:

Central Park
中央公園

A multi-story-tall Christmas tree at night, outside Central Park MRT Station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Central Park MRT Station in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, decorated in Christmas colors.
People walking underneath hanging stars made of dozens or hundreds of small lights.
A large two-dimensional Santa hat made of hundreds of string lights, hanging above a crowd.
A couple takes a selfie inside a makeshift tunnel of lights.
A red and white Santa hat made of hundreds of small lights hanging in the sky.
A man taking a photo of string lights threaded through trees in Central Park, Kaohsiung.
A smartly-dressed middle-aged busker playing a violin in front of Christmas lights.
A man poses for a photo while sitting in a sleigh made of red tinsel and string lights.
A couple taking a selfie inside a giant illuminated Christmas ornament.
A giant illuminated Christmas ornament, maybe three meters tall, resting on a grass mound.
A giant illuminated Christmas ornament, perhaps three meters high.
A woman poses for a photo while sitting in an illuminated red and white sleigh.
A sculpture of large wrapped Christmas gifts, made of thousands of tiny lights.
A tree covered in string lights in the foreground, and light sculptures of reindeer pulling a sleigh on a grassy mound in the distance.
A dozen people walking though a light tunnel installation.
A couple silhouetted against the reflection of string lights in a still pond at Central Park, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Hanshin Arena
漢神巨蛋購物廣場

A Disney cats and dogs-themed Christmas light installation outside Hanshin Arena shopping mall in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.
Close-up of a light tunnel with Disney cats and dogs branding.
A colorful sculpture of a bunch of Christmas gift boxes.

Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital
高雄市立大同醫院

A large Christmas tree and a hedge and trees festooned with string lights, outside Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital.

Kaohsiung Music Center
高雄流行音樂中心

An abstract cone-shape representing a Christmas tree, with Kaohsiung Music Center illuminated in red and green on the car side of Love River.
Tasteful Christmas lights hanging in trees.
A Venetian-style gondola passing on the water in front of a golden Christmas tree at Kaoshiung harbor. The gondola driver is standing, and silhouetted against the Christmas tree's reflection.
Kaohsiung Music Center illuminated in red and green.

Kaohsiung Port Warehouse No. 2 (KW2)
棧貳庫

A Christmas tree-like sculpture made of ships’ anchors and string lights, outside a harborside industrial warehouse in Kaohsiung.

Liouhe Night Market
六合夜市

Christmas lights hanging above Liouhe (Liuhe) Night Market. The market is crowded with people and food stalls.

Love River
愛河

A bridge over Love River is illuminated in red and green. The lights reflect in the river, where a Venetian-style gondola is silhouetted against the reflection.

Pier 2 Art Center
駁二藝術特區

Great Harbor Bridge at Pier 2, Kaohsiung, is illuminated in white in the background behind string lights and Christmas decorations on the foreground buildings.
Festoon lights hang over a garden at Pier 2 Art Center. A large inflated Santa appears to be scaling the wall.
A tasteful sculpture of reindeer standing on a field of lights.

SKM Park
高雄草衙道

Festoon lights hanging over an outdoor square at SKM Park shopping mall in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
A tram (or trolley) moving through the outdoor square at SKM Park shopping mall. The tram and square are decorated in Christmas lights.
Close-up of a tram moving through SKM Park shopping mall's outdoor square. It is decorated in lights and fake snow. It is passing a large Christmas tree.
An elegantly lit classical carousel.
Four reindeer sculptures lit with hundreds of tiny lights.
Close-up of the head of a reindeer sculpture, lit with hundreds of tiny lights.

Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
衛武營國家藝術文化中心

A large yellow and red Christmas tree, topped with a star, outside the Weiwuying National Kaoshiung Center for the Arts.

Yancheng Presbyterian Church
鹽埕基督長老教會

Yancheng Presbyterian Church decorated with Christmas lights.
Close-up of some of the Christmas lights used to decorate Yancheng Presbyterian Church in Kaoshiung, Taiwan.

Zuoying MRT Station
左營捷運站

A three-meter-tall Christmas tree made of orchid flowers next to a cosy winter fireplace at Zuoying MRT Station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

And finally, three photos from my nightly walks…

Six Santa decorations made of paper plates, hanging from a shop verandah and illuminated with Christmas lights.
Children's decorations outside a kindergarten.
Colorful Christmas lights hanging along the side of a Port of Kaohsiung tugboat on Kaohsiung Harbor.
A working tugboat at the Port of Kaohsiung.
A tastefully-decorated artificial Christmas tree, approximately two meters tall, on a sidewalk in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
A sidewalk Christmas tree. This isn’t unusual: no one damages or steals them. The spirit of goodwill is alive in Kaohsiung.

🎄

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