Dramatic residential blocks with curved facades encircle a diaspora community in the Guomao area. The dozen-or-so 12-storey buildings were constructed for the mainland Chinese soldiers of the ROC navy and their families when an old military dependants' village had to be torn down. A self-sufficient community frozen in time, you'll find here barbershops, clinics, a market, a basketball court in red, white and blue (the colours of the ROC flag) and, most famously, shops selling delicious mainland Chinese delicacies.
For ordinary Kaohsiung citizens, the main draw of the Guomao Community is the authentic Peking-style dumplings, Shanghainese pastries, Sichuan cold dishes and Shanxi noodles served at its many ground-floor stalls. You'll also hear more Mandarin than Taiwanese spoken in the area, and some older people may be eager to strike up a conversation in Mandarin with Chinese-looking tourists. The community, sometimes also known as Guomao Military Dependants' Village (果貿海軍眷村; Guǒmào Hǎijūn Juàncūn), is in Zuoying District.
'Guomao Community' (果貿社區; Guǒmào Shèqū) is the 15th stop on the bus route from Kaohsiung Main Station.