Xiziwan, also spelled Sizihwan (西子灣), is one of the best-known waterfront areas in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is especially famous for its ocean views and sunsets, and it also happened to be the final location of our pre-wedding photoshoot in Kaohsiung.
And I'll admit: when we first arrived, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't going to be a bright and sunny beach day. 😂
The sky was cloudy and gray, and at first I thought, "Oh no, these aren't going to look like the sunny beach photos I imagined."
But once we started shooting, I completely changed my mind.
The muted blue-gray ocean, darker sand, cloudy sky, and mountains in the background ended up looking SO pretty with my dusty blue dress and Chris's dark suit. The colors all blended together in this really soft, romantic way, and this ended up being one of my favorite looks from our whole pre-wedding photoshoot.
What Is Xiziwan?
Xiziwan, or Sizihwan, is a coastal area on the western side of Kaohsiung near Shoushan and Kaohsiung Harbor.
It is one of Kaohsiung's classic places to go for ocean views, sea breezes, and especially sunset. The area includes the bay, beach, waterfront, and nearby attractions, with National Sun Yat-sen University located right along the coast.
The spelling can be a little confusing if you're researching a trip because you'll see both Xiziwan and Sizihwan used in English. They both refer to 西子灣.
Sizihwan Beach and National Sun Yat-sen University
One thing that surprised me when we arrived was that the beach didn't feel like a typical public beach where you just pull into a parking lot and walk straight onto the sand.
When we visited, we went through a controlled/gated area, and I remember thinking it felt like we were going onto a college campus.
And... that's basically because we were. 😂
National Sun Yat-sen University (國立中山大學) is located right along Sizihwan Bay, and Sizihwan Beach is shown as part of the university's coastal campus area.
That also explains the buildings you can see along the hills and waterfront behind us in some of our photos.
Access arrangements around the beach can vary, so if specifically going onto this section of the beach is important to your visit, I would check the current information before heading there.
Our Pre-Wedding Photoshoot at Xiziwan
This was the third and final look of our pre-wedding photoshoot in Kaohsiung.
We started the day in my white wedding dress at the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts and Neiweipi Cultural Park. Later, we changed into traditional Chinese wedding attire for photos at the Confucius Temple near Lotus Pond.
And for our final look, we headed to the beach at Xiziwan.
I changed into an off-the-shoulder dusty blue gown with floral detailing, while Chris kept his dark three-piece suit.
The whole look ended up matching the beach better than I ever could have planned.
The sand here was much darker than the light, golden beach sand I normally picture when I think about a beach photoshoot. With the gray-blue water and overcast sky, everything had this cool, moody color palette.
And then there was my blue dress right in the middle of it.
It worked SO well.
When Cloudy Weather Actually Makes the Photos Better
This was a good reminder that perfect photography weather doesn't necessarily mean bright sunshine.
When I saw the cloudy sky, I initially wished we had gotten a sunny day. I imagined blue skies and bright sparkling water in the background.
But now that I've seen the finished photos, I'm actually glad we didn't.
There wasn't harsh sunlight making us squint, and the softer light looked really flattering. The clouds also made the water and sky look more muted, which worked perfectly with our outfits.
The beach, ocean, mountains, Chris's navy suit, and my blue-gray dress all felt like they belonged in the same color palette.
Some of my favorite photos from the entire shoot are actually the ones where we're just walking along the water and laughing.
They feel a little less formal than our other locations and much more relaxed.
The Scenery at Xiziwan
Sizihwan is known for its coastal scenery, and you can see why when you're standing on the beach.
You have the ocean in front of you, green hills rising behind the shoreline, and parts of National Sun Yat-sen University tucked into the landscape.
The official Taiwan Tourism Administration also highlights Sizihwan for its beach, natural reef, breakwater, harbor views, and especially its sunsets.
We weren't there for one of those famous golden sunsets-the weather clearly had other plans for us that day 😂-but I actually love that our photos show a completely different side of Xiziwan.
Instead of golden and tropical, it looked soft, gray, romantic, and almost a little dramatic.
Xiziwan Is Famous for Sunset
If you're visiting Xiziwan as a traveler rather than showing up with an entire wedding photography team like we did 😂, sunset is one of the biggest reasons to come here.
Sizihwan is particularly famous for watching the sun go down over the Taiwan Strait. The waterfront and breakwater are popular places to enjoy the evening sea breeze and watch the changing colors over the water.
So if the weather is cooperating, late afternoon into sunset would probably be my first choice for a regular visit.
But apparently cloudy days can be pretty beautiful here too!
Is Xiziwan a Good Photo Spot in Kaohsiung?
Absolutely.
Our three Kaohsiung photoshoot locations all gave us something completely different:
- Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts / Neiweipi Cultural Park - green lawns, trees, water, and a softer garden-like look
- Confucius Temple near Lotus Pond - traditional Chinese architecture that was perfect with our Chinese wedding attire
- Xiziwan - ocean, beach, mountains, and a much more relaxed coastal feel
That variety is one of the things I loved most about doing our pre-wedding photos in Kaohsiung.
And Xiziwan was the perfect place to finish the day.
Things to Do Around Xiziwan
We were there specifically for our photoshoot, so we didn't spend the day sightseeing around Xiziwan.
But the greater Sizihwan area is worth exploring if you're actually visiting as a traveler.
Besides the waterfront and beach, you're close to National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung Harbor, Shoushan, and other attractions around Gushan District. The official tourism information also notes the long breakwater as one of the area's landmarks.
It's an especially easy area to work into a Kaohsiung itinerary if you enjoy ocean views, photography, or just want somewhere scenic to spend the late afternoon.
Xiziwan and the Ferry to Cijin
Another thing I love about this area is how close it is to the ferry over to Cijin (旗津).
We actually took the ferry from the nearby Gushan Ferry Station to Cijin during our time in Kaohsiung. The ride itself is super short - only about five minutes - so Xiziwan and Cijin are really easy to combine into the same day.
If you're already visiting Xiziwan, you could spend some time around the waterfront and beach, then head over to the ferry and continue on to Cijin for seafood, old streets, the lighthouse, fort, and more coastal scenery.
That makes this whole part of Kaohsiung especially fun to explore because you can go from the beach at Xiziwan to riding a ferry across the harbor in just a short amount of time.
Final Thoughts
I'm so glad Xiziwan ended up being the final stop of our Kaohsiung pre-wedding photoshoot.
At first, I was disappointed that we didn't get a bright and sunny beach day.
And then I saw the photos.
The darker sand, gray-blue ocean, cloudy sky, green mountains, Chris's navy suit, and my dusty blue dress all somehow came together perfectly.
Sometimes the weather you weren't hoping for ends up creating exactly the look you didn't know you wanted.
And now these are some of my favorite photos from the entire day. 🥰
If you're visiting Kaohsiung, Xiziwan is worth checking out whether you're coming for the famous sunset, the ocean views, or maybe even your own photoshoot.
Got questions or comments? Drop them below!