1-2 Line Abstract
Kaohsiung is a wonderful city to call home. Located in southern Taiwan, it has pleasant weather. That is, it’s not as cold as Taipei in the winter nor as hot in the summer. It’s on the western side of the central mountains, so it doesn’t get hit as hard by typhoons as much as Taidong. It has an international airport, which depending on the destination, makes traveling abroad convenient. Also, there are many jobs in teaching, manufacturing, and social work. These advantages and lower cost of living, compared to other major cities, make Kaohsiung a prime destination for many foreigners.
But, relocating, settling, and living in Kaohsiung can be stressful at times. Much of the official information is limited due to the language barrier. Where there is English, it’s not updated or is just a static web page. There are very few useful resources online.
With this in mind, My Kaohsiung compiled a list of 5 essential Facebook groups for foreigners. While there are more groups, many provide duplicate information. These should get you started and are welcomed to join others as necessary. The resources are all English language-oriented and administered by people who have a lot of experience living in Kaohsiung. We wanted to address the basic needs of living in Kaohsiung: general questions, second-hand market, finding teaching jobs, social networking, and finding an apartment. In selecting the groups, we focused on the size and the level of activity of the group. Joining these essential groups will surely ease your relocation or living in Kaohsiung.
Kaohsiung Q&A
Kaohsiung Q&A is one of the most useful groups in Kaohsiung. It is a forum to ask any question about living in Kaohsiung. Many asks questions even before moving to Kaohsiung, regard a wide range of topics. The types of questions asked vary from where to find particular food, marriage, laws, etc. You name it, it’s been asked…so frequently, in fact, that Andy created the document “Life in Kaohsiung.” It is accessible from the page and it is a compilation of many referrals, listing, and other information based on frequently asked questions. With this said, it is advised to check the document first before posting a question because many questions have been asked before and the information recorded in the document.
The group was created in 2014 and has over 4,100 members. It is one of the larger English-focused communities and the strength of this group is the members, themselves. They form a group knowledge, or collective intelligence, and are very responsive to questions. It is also a private group, so in order to view posts, users must join the group.
This is NOT a discussion group or a page to advertise goods or services. This a place to ask & answer questions about living in Kaohsiung & southern.Taiwan. This group is not a ‘one stop shop’ for all information about Kaohsiung. If you have any doubts about what this group is about, just scroll down and read the questions for the past few months.
Kaohsiung Community Market
The Kaohsiung Community Market is one of the largest groups for thrifty shoppers. It stands out for their rule limiting the items that can be posted. For example, commercial sellers are limited to one post at any time. They also prohibit the sale of counterfeit items, such as brand name shoes, watches or bags.
The page was started after another popular group had an association with an online shop. This created some conflict of interest and some contact information was sold. This led to the establishment of the Kaohsiung Community Market in 2014. The group has grown to over 6,000 members.
This NEW page offers a Closed Group setup so it will not spam your friends and family. Furthermore, it will NOT ask you to provide your contact information and will not profit from forwarding your posts to Freemai or any other site.
Kaohsiung English Teachers
Kaohsiung English Teacher group is a public group. You do not have to join to view the posts. It is one of the most active Facebook groups in Kaohsiung, with over 6,800 members.
As the name implies, it is centered around English teaching jobs in Kaohsiung. It is used by both English schools to recruit and by individuals to seek teaching opportunities. Most posts state the type of position, hours, and pay. Recruiters from public and private schools advertise sub, part-time, and full-time positions. Occasionally, individuals would place ads searching for private tutors. Thus, it is a great resource for teachers who are looking for jobs, whether changing schools or adding more hours, or coming from other countries. It is also a platform to self-promote. There are quite a few posts of teachers advertising their qualifications and desires.
Due to the proximity of Tainan and Pingtung, and even Chiayi, there are posts advertising for teachers from those locations.
Kaohsiung Language & Social Exchange 高雄語言交換與人脈拓展（LEIT）
One of the best ways to enjoy living in Kaohsiung is to learn the local language. Kaohsiung Language & Social Exchange 高雄語言交換與人脈拓展（LEIT） is the largest private Facebook group in Kaohsiung for language exchange with over 9,700 members.
It is the perfect forum to seek language exchange partners. Members represent the global community, so there are opportunities to learn many languages. Some of the more popular languages in addition to Chinese and English are Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese. The group is quite active. The moderator frequently holds language exchange events.
The rules for this group are centered around a harmonious experience. Members can not arbitrarily post advertisements. They must get moderators’ permission. Controversial topics are prohibited to keep the focus on language exchange. Finally, there’s zero tolerance for any harassment of the female members in the group.
Kaohsiung Apartment Rental
This group lists advertisements for accommodations for both short and long-term rentals. The private group has over 4,300 members. The listings include houses, apartments, studios, and rooms. In addition to rental posts, members can post wanted ads for their specific needs.
Apartments, houses or rooms available for rent. Welcome to ask for roommates. Please indicate in comments when no longer available. Please answer questions and respond to messages or you may be removed from the group. Please be professional if you offer services. Thank you and happy house hunting!
Don’t forget to subscribe to My Kaohsiung Facebook page, the only place for information on Kaohsiung!