Cafeography
Kaohsiung · Hamasen & Sizihwan

Cafés in Hamasen & Sizihwan

Japanese-era streets on reclaimed land, the Takao Railway Museum, the Cijin ferry and Sizihwan's sunset.

Photo: Mike Huang, Pexels License

Hamasen (哈瑪星) takes its name from the Japanese 濱線 (hamasen, beach lines), the two railway lines that served the commercial port, the fishing port and the fish market; Taiwanese speakers made it Há-má-seng.1 The land was tidal sea until the colonial government reclaimed it with dredged silt, in a four-year project finished in 1912.1

Through the Sizihwan Tunnel, over Shaochuantou hill, lies Sizihwan (西子灣), the black-sand beach beside National Sun Yat-sen University.2 Hamasen's cafés line Binhai 1st and 2nd roads (濱海路), Gushan 1st Road and Linhai 2nd and 3rd roads (臨海路), with a few out toward Sizihwan on Shaochuan Street.

Local tip: Walk from Hamasen station through the Sizihwan Tunnel, which is open to pedestrians and bikes, and time it for the sunset on the beach.24

At a glance

13Cafés listed
2With opening hours
09:00Earliest opening
20:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: 脆阿尼咖啡, from 09:00 (Mon–Wed 09:00–20:00 · Fri–Sun 09:00–20:00).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (8%), vegetarian options (8%), bakery café (8%).

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Coffee chains in Hamasen & Sizihwan

Kaohsiung's first downtown

Local government started here. The Takao sub-office of Tainan Prefecture was completed in Hamasen in 1917 and became the Takao District office in 1920; when Takao became a city in 1924, its city hall worked from the same area.1 A new city hall elsewhere was finished in 1939, and the administration moved east.1

The old city hall was destroyed in the 1945 air raids, and 代天宮 (Daitian Temple) was built on its site after the war.1 The former 山形屋 bookstore now houses the heritage restaurant 壹貳樓, and the Wude Hall (武德殿), a martial-arts hall, is one of the area's landmarks.1

Takao Station and the Cijin ferry

Kaohsiung's first railway station, later Kaohsiung Harbor Station, saw its last train leave at 17:30 on 9 November 2008.3 It reopened as the Takao Railway Museum on 24 October 2010, with two steam and two diesel locomotives outside.3

Hamasen station, the end of the Orange Line, was called Sizihwan until it was renamed in 2024, and the light rail also has a Hamasen stop.21 The Gushan ferry terminal, for boats to Cijin, is a short walk from the station.4 Taiwan Railway has a Gushan station nearby as well.7

Sizihwan, the tunnel and the consulate

The Sizihwan Tunnel was cut through Shaochuantou between 1927 and 1933 and is open to people on foot and on bicycles.2 The beach beyond, called Takao Beach under Japanese rule, faces the Taiwan Strait on the north side of the harbor entrance.2 Go at sunset, when the beach is at its best.4

On Shaochuantou hill, the two-story red-brick Former British Consulate at Takao, completed in 1879 by the trading firm McPhail & Co., looks out over Sizihwan Bay and the harbor entrance.5

Cafés from Binhai Road to Shaochuan Street

OH! Cafe (握咖啡) at Binhai 2nd Road 5 was the café of Jacky Lai (賴昱權), the 2014 World Coffee Roasting Champion, when the city's magazine profiled him in 2015.6 It has outdoor seats and takeaway. Down the road, 脆阿尼咖啡 (Tribbiani cafe) at Binhai 1st Road 79 bakes, serves vegan dishes and has Wi-Fi, opening 09:00–20:00 every day except Thursday; Nachill Hamasen is at No. 10.

書店喫茶 一二三亭 (Bookstore Café Hifumitei), a 喫茶 with books at Guyuan Street 4, opens daily 10:00–18:00. 新濱．駅前 is at Linhai 3rd Road 5, 海珈琲 and Mi'S Cafe on Gushan 1st Road, and 西子灣亨利咖啡 on Shaochuan Street. At the 棧貳庫 (KW2) warehouse on Penglai Road 17, 第三波咖啡 has a counter.

Sources

  1. 哈瑪星, Wikipedia (Chinese), accessed October 2026
  2. Sizihwan, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Takao Railway Museum, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Kaohsiung, Wikivoyage, accessed October 2026
  5. Former British Consulate at Takao, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  6. Coffee Master Yu-chuan Jacky Lai: The Pride of Kaohsiung (咖啡職人賴昱權 高雄之光), Maritime Capital Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung City Government (June 5, 2015), accessed October 2026
  7. Gushan District, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
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In Hamasen & Sizihwan, also browse: Wi-Fi Outdoor seating Bakery cafés

FAQ

Hamasen & Sizihwan cafés: questions

Where does the name Hamasen in Kaohsiung come from?

Hamasen comes from the Japanese 濱線 (hamasen, beach lines), the two railway lines that served Kaohsiung's commercial port, fishing port and fish market. Taiwanese speakers adapted it as Há-má-seng. The land itself was reclaimed from tidal sea with dredged silt in a project finished in 1912.

How do you get from Hamasen to Sizihwan in Kaohsiung?

Walk through the Sizihwan Tunnel, cut through Shaochuantou hill between 1927 and 1933 and open to pedestrians and bicycles. The beach beyond faces the Taiwan Strait and is at its best at sunset. Hamasen MRT station, the end of the Orange Line, was called Sizihwan station until 2024.

What is OH! Cafe in Kaohsiung's Hamasen?

OH! Cafe (握咖啡) at Binhai 2nd Road 5 in Hamasen was the café of Jacky Lai, the Kaohsiung roaster named 2014 World Coffee Roasting Champion, when the city's magazine profiled him in 2015. It has outdoor seats and takeaway. Down the road, 脆阿尼咖啡 at Binhai 1st Road 79 bakes and has Wi-Fi.

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