Ginza Shopping Arcade

Kaohsiung


Known locally as 'Ginza' (銀座), this crumbling arcade was Kaohsiung's first shopping mall when it opened in 1937, although the current structure harks back to the '60s. Western fashion and other luxury goods smuggled by sailors in to Kaohsiung Port were sold here. It was the poshest hang-out, and every Sunday its shops and bars were thronged with shoppers. Old Ginza is currently receiving a blood transfusion – a B&B is moving into the premises and old businesses are being revived.

The arcade is right next to a tea shop near the junction between Wufu 4th and Qixian 3rd Rds. You'll spot its old, three-storey facade between much-newer buildings. There's a 7-Eleven convenience store across the road.