The Love River (Ai-he) runs north-south through downtown Kaohsiung. It was one of Asia's most polluted urban waterways thirty years ago, the city's industrial outflow staining it black and stinking — and the cleanup, paid for over twenty years, is one of Kaohsiung's quiet success stories. Today it is lined with promenades, cycle paths, cafes and small gondola-style boats that you can rent.
The most attractive stretch runs from the Kaohsiung Bridge down to the Love River Garden, with the Kaohsiung Film Archive and Kaohsiung Music Center on the east bank. Lights come on at sunset and the night view is one of the city's signature sights. Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival in February are particularly atmospheric, when floats are launched on the water.