Gangshan District (Chinese: 岡山區; Hanyu Pinyin: Gāngshān Qū; Tongyong Pinyin: Gangshan Cyu; Wade–Giles: Kang1-shan1 Ch'ü1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kong-san-khu, Hakka: Kông-sân-khî), is a suburban district in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan. It has 95,532 inhabitants in October 2023. The township is part of the suburbs of Kaohsiung City which encompass 10 cities (or townships) out of 18 in the official Kaohsiung Metro Area.
History and Names
In 1920, during the Japanese era, the town of A-kong-tien (阿公店; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-kong-tiàm) was renamed Okayama (岡山) and made the site of an airbase. Administratively Okayama Town covered modern day Gangshan District and Ciaotou District and was under Okayama District, Takao Prefecture. The town suffered heavy bombardment in World War II.
Following the Surrender of Japan and handover to the Kuomintang, the government continued to use the same name (岡山), but transliterated using Mandarin (Gangshan). The town continued to host Gangshan Air Base (Kangshan Air Base), and has a strong military veteran's presence as well.
Administrative divisions
The district consists of Pingan, Gangshan, Shoutian, Weiren, Houhong, Daliao, Zhongxiao, Heping, Qianfeng, Liucuo, Xiehe, Houxie, Xinyi, Tande, Sanhe, Renshou, Bihong, Chengxiang, Zhuwei, Taishang, Wanli, Baimi, Shitan, Fuxing, Benzhou, Jiaxing, Jiafeng, Huagang, Dazhuang, Xierong, Weisui, Shoufeng and Renyi Village.[2]
Gangshan District is known for restaurants serving goat meat, traditionally goats were raised in northern Kaohsiung because of the poor quality of the land. Due to this the area developed into a center of the regional trade, slaughter, and consumption of goats.[3]
