Zuoying District#Naval Base

Zuoying was established in the mid-seventeenth century as a military fortress, known as Old Fengshan (鳳山, also Old Fongshan). It is now the site of Tsoying Harbour, known formerly as {{nihongo|Port Saei|左營港}}. 'Sa-ei' is the Japanese on'yomi (Chinese reading) of the city's name in Chinese characters, but was romanized as 'Tsoying' after World War II by American Naval Consultants.{{Cn|date=June 2025}}

In May 1960 a Republic of China Air Force North American F-86 Sabre crashed into a neighborhood in Zuoying killing 11 and injuring 45.{{cite web |title=Jet crashes, kills 11 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/issue/straitstimes19600510-1 |website=nlb.gov.sg |publisher=National Library Board |access-date=11 June 2025}}

File:Txu-oclc-6557994-index-454.jpg, 1951)]]

Zuoying's Lotus Lake is one of the major tourist attractions of southern Taiwan. This beautiful man-made lake is situated between Gueishan (Turtle Mountain) and Panpingshan (Half-screen Mountain). The Spring and Autumn Pavilions, Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and Confucius Temple dot its shoreline. The Confucius Temple is the largest Confucius temple in Taiwan. The historic gates of the Old Fengshan city wall are also nearby.

There is a mountain called Shoushan or Chaishan (referred to as Monkey Mountain by many English-speakers), with a large population of Formosan macaques and many tropical plants, and part of which lies within the restricted area of the naval base.

• Area: {{convert|19.39|km2}}
• Population: 197,026 (October 2023)

File:Zuoying villages map.svg

The district consists of Jinxue, Weixi, Dingbei, Zhongbei, Zhongnan, Miaotung, Miaobei, Weinan, Weibei, Bingshan, Xianghe, Yongqing, Juguang, Guanghui, Gequn, Mingjian, Dingxi, Shenghou, Shengxi, Shengnan, Chengnan, Lutung, Bubei, Bunan, Beixi, Beibei, Beitung, Haisheng, Chongshi, Zizhu, Guomao, Guohui, Guofeng, Xinxia, Xinshang, Xinzhong, Xinguang, Caigong and Fushan Village.[https://web.archive.org/web/20181125162742/https://www.cec.gov.tw/pc/en/TV/nm64000000300000000.html Government website]

File:Zuoying Naval Base Zhonghai Gangway 20131119.jpg

Zuoying hosts the Zuoying Naval Airfield (22°42′16″N, 120°16′48″E) and the Republic of China Navy's Zuoying Naval Yard (海軍左營基地), Taiwan's largest naval base. The Republic of China Marine Corps host their training program for their Amphibious Reconnaissance and Patrol Unit (ARP) at that location.{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/01/14/asia-pacific/taiwan-elite-training/|title=Inside Taiwan's brutal navy frogman bootcamp|website=The Japan Times|first1=Ben|last1=Blanchard|first2=Ann|last2=Wang|date=14 January 2022}} A few miles south at the naval camp in Shoushan (壽山營區) is the garrison the ARP's secretive counterterrorism branch; the Chinese Marine Corps Special Service Company (CMC.SSC) ({{zh |t = 中華民國海軍陸戰隊特勤隊}}) or more colloquially; The Black (Clothed) Unit ({{zh |t = 黑衣部隊}}).{{cite web | url=https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/中華民國海軍陸戰隊特勤隊 | title=中華民國海軍陸戰隊特勤隊 }}

Villages near the naval base are composed of single-story houses, uncommon in most Taiwanese cities. The villages were first populated by soldiers of the Kuomintang who came from different provinces of mainland China and gathered here after losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The ROC National Government provided these veteran serviceman with these single-story houses. These residential areas belonged to the navy and were under military control at that time. Therefore, people outside could not enter villages without martial permission. Without interference from outside, the culture of villages embodies that of different provinces of mainland China.

In 2017 the government embarked on a major expansion of the naval base. Under the name Weihai Project (威海) the expansion was given a budget of more than a billion US dollars.{{cite web |last1=Tien-pin |first1=Lo |last2=Chin |first2=Jonathan |title=Zuoying naval base to get upgrade |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2017/07/17/2003674715 |website=taipeitimes.com |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=12 June 2025}}

• Republic of China Naval Academy

• Kaohsiung American School
• Kaohsiung Municipal Tsoying Senior High School

• Banping Lake Wetland Park
• Chi Ming Palace
• Cide Palace
• Cih Ji Palace
• Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
• Guomao Community
• Kaohsiung Arena
• Kaohsiung Confucius Temple
• Lotus Pond
• National Sports Training Center
• Old City of Zuoying
• Qing Shui Temple
• Ruifeng Night Market
• Spring and Autumn Pavilions
• Zhouzai Wetland Park

Image:Hsr zuoying station clock.jpg

There are two stops on the West Coast Line of the Taiwan Railways Administration that serve Zuoying District: Zuoying–Jiucheng Station and Xinzuoying Station.

The Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) serves the Kaohsiung metropolitan area with Zuoying HSR station, currently the terminal and a joint station with TRA's Xinzuoying Station and KMRT's Zuoying Station.

• Chu Ke-liang former comedian
• Jeannie Hsieh, singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and model
• Lin Chuan, Premier of the Republic of China (2016–2017)

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Zuoying District, Kaohsiung}}

{{Wiktionary|Zuoying|Tsoying|Tso-ying|Tso Ying|Saei}}

• {{official website}}
• [http://www.thsrc.com.tw/emain/construct/building/tsoying_c.htm Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (HSR Zuoying Station)]
• [http://www.thsrc.com.tw/emain/construct/building/tsoying.htm (English)]
• [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/tsoying.htm GlobalSecurity.org (Zuoying Naval Base)]
• [http://www.fas.org/irp/world/taiwan/facility/tsoying.htm Federation of American Scientists (Zuoying Airfield)]

{{Districts in Taiwan}}

{{Kaohsiung}}

{{Authority control}}