Kaohsiung Travel website

Taiwan's oldest and most prestigious "Taiwan Residential Architecture Award," organized by the Taiwan Architect magazine, has announced its winners. Shoushan Zoo and the Kaohsiung Music Center have achieved remarkable success. Mayor Chen Chi-Mai stated that through architecture and environmental dialogue, Kaohsiung has garnered appreciation from the judges. Friendly designs allow visitors to observe animals without disturbing their lives, offering comfort to the animals and a novel experience for the public.

Kao Min-Lin, Director of Tourism Bureau, noted that the Kaohsiung City Government is committed to enhancing animal welfare. The revitalization project of the aging Shoushan Zoo features the "New Zoo Movement," in which there are three major design elements: "Free Land for Animals," "Family Paradise," and "Accessible Skywalk Corridor." The renovation includes opening windows in two enclosed animal shelters, shaping them like mountains to echo the imagery of Shoushan, and designing them to allow wind circulation and light entry, in order to provide animals with a nice shelter from wind and rain. The clever design connects these mountain-shaped houses with accessible skywalk, not only providing a friendly route for touring the zoo, but also transforming the flat zoo into a three-dimensional space. Four animal observation corridors suspended beneath the skywalk enable people to get closer to the animals. Additionally, relocating chimpanzees from old cages to an opener and more comfortable space for display and converting the cages into “Light Is Café” s humans to think on the life educational significance of zoos, highlighting the ingenuity of the design.

Kao Min-Lin expressed gratitude to architect Jay Chiu for integrating humanistic philosophy and local elements into the design, enabling both humans and animals to perceive and forge richer connections and experiences. The revamped zoo has received endorsements from the Veterinary Association, the Architects Association, and representatives of natural ecologists. The overall spatial design and construction have won the 22nd "Public Construction Golden Quality Award" and the 2023 "Urban Construction Quality Golden Award." Standing out from 239 entries, it has been honored with the First Prize in the "Taiwan Residential Architecture Award." Judges of the "Taiwan Residential Architecture Award" expressed that walking along the skywalk corridor opens up a broad perspective of the zoo, and descending the corridor gives a sense of being surrounded by animals without disturbing them. Architect Jay Chiu's concept is not just about creating a beautiful building, but rather public activities ing deeper contemplation in order to bringing people and animals closer together.

The architect mentioned that every quality civilized city has a zoo that children love. He recalled Mayor Chen Chi-Mai's early days in office when he expressed a wish for "a zoo in Kaohsiung that both adults and children would love." -- He expressed his honor in having the opportunity to serve the citizens of Kaohsiung and leave a mark, and he is grateful to Kaohsiung for allowing architects to utilize their expertise and turn it into a part of the citizens' daily lives.
No longer requiring advance ticket purchase, Shoushan Zoo currently offers on-site and online ticketing. From now until the end of December, visitors can enjoy a 50% discount on admission. However, due to limited parking space, it is recommended to take Bus 56 after getting off at Kaohsiung Metro Yanchengpu Station or KLRT Wenwu Temple Station. Anyone who wishes to contribute to animal welfare, is welcome to join the animal adoption initiative. To show your support for enhancing animal welfare, follow Shoushan Zoo on Facebook and Instagram for instant updates to keep track of the animals' daily activities.