Kaohsiung National Stadium

Dragon-shaped 55,000-seat stadium roofed with solar panels

A 55,000-seat athletics stadium with an unusual curving roof that, seen from above, takes the shape of a dragon. Almost the entire upper surface is covered with solar panels — over a million watts of generating capacity. The interior is just as striking, with the open ribbon-roof seemingly floating overhead.

You can wander into the public side of the stadium during the day even when no event is on, and the local metro authority will sometimes open the roof viewpoint. To see it under lights, time a visit around a Lions FC football match or a concert. Metro Red Line to World Games MRT.

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The stadium was built for the 2009 World Games and designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Its 14,155 solar panels produce more power than the stadium uses on event days, with the surplus sold to the local grid — making it, at the time of opening, the world's first stadium powered entirely by the sun.

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