The Port of Kaohsiung is the largest container port in Taiwan located down south, adjacent to Kaohsiung City. This long and narrow bay originally developed from a lagoon, is 12 km in total length, 1 km ~ 1.5 km in width and a mouth of merely 100 meters-wide shaped like a pouch. It covers 1,276 hectares of water area, and has two outbound channels. The inbound/outbound navigation channels are 18 km long. Two structures of breakwaters are inside the harbor wharf areas.

Developed from a tiny fishing hamlet during the late Ming Dynasty, with further constructions by Dutch invaders and loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung (who regained Taiwan back from the Dutch during Emperor Yunglis rein), the Port of Kaohsiung or the Port of Dagou (old name) was improved into a main distribution center for the Kaohsiung/Pingtung areas by the early Qing Dynasty. In 1865, in compliance with the Tienchin Treaty inked by the Qing government and the British government, the Port of Kaohsiung was opened for international commerce. Barbettes and artilleries were built and mounted in strategic positions by the sea to strengthen coastal defense by the Qing government, and the British consulate officials and foreign businessmen often made rounds of inspections too.