Kaohsiung Tax Bureau

　　In December 1863, the Qing court set up a customs branch office at the Qihou wharf. The following year a customs office was formally established at Takau (now known as Kaohsiung). In 1895 after the Japanese took control of Taiwan, the Takau Customs Office was relegated to a branch office. It was not until 1934 that Keelung and Kaohsiung were made the two main customs ports, one in the north and one in the south. In August 1936, the new Kaohsiung Customs building was completed on the west bank of the port (present day Jiexing First Street in the Gushan area) and is still in use.
　　The building was designed by Ide Kaoru, Chief Architect in the Office of the Governor-General. He was not only skilled in modern architecture, but could also through detailed decorations add elements of graceful elegance to the large and stately official building. After the war as customs in Kaohsiung expanded, the floorplan for each floor was revised and the exterior was given a minor facelift.