《115-1 SA Event》 

Sip, Stroll & Discover Yancheng: IBMBA & GHRM MBA Students Walk Through 300 Years of Kaohsiung History!

With milk tea in hand and curiosity in tow, students from across National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) joined the Student Association's "Sip, Stroll & Discover Yancheng" walking tour. The event led both international and domestic students through Yancheng District, once nothing more than Qing-dynasty salt flats and marshland, and today one of Kaohsiung's most character-filled historic neighborhoods. Along the five-stop route, students traded lecture halls for old market stalls, colonial-era shopping arcades, and a lively round of icebreaker games. 

The tour began outside Yanchengpu MRT Station, Exit 2, where students learned that Yancheng, despite feeling like the traditional heart of "old Kaohsiung," is actually one of the city's younger urban cores. Originally a Qing-dynasty salt field (the name "Yancheng" literally translates to "salt yard"), the area was transformed into solid land through Kaohsiung Harbor's major land reclamation project between 1908 and 1914. From there, the group stopped by Shuang Fei Milk Tea to pick up authentic local beverages before continuing the walk. 

Continuing down Sinle Street, students were surprised to spot row upon row of traditional jewelry shops lining the road. Sinle Street was once nicknamed Kaohsiung's "Gold Street," home to 50 to 60 gold and jewelry shops during the 1960s and 70s, a commercial boom driven by the city hall's former relocation nearby and American sailors on shore leave during the Vietnam War. Students also enjoyed the neighborhood's favorite piece of local trivia: shop owners once had their children carry gold home hidden inside their school backpacks to avoid drawing the attention of robbers. 

At the Yancheng First Public Retail Market, established around 1948, students wandered among stalls run by second- and third-generation vendors, whose families historically lived in tiny wooden lofts built directly above their shops. Students also observed the market's recently restored 60-year-old timber roof structure before pausing to sample traditional snacks among the heritage vendor stalls. 

The route continued past Qixian 3rd Road to the Takao Ginza Vestige, once the most fashionable covered shopping street in 1930s Kaohsiung. Students heard how the street was heavily damaged during WWII, only for its resilient shopkeepers to rebuild it entirely with their own funds following a self-organized research trip to Tokyo's Akihabara district in 1962, a story showcasing the neighborhood's enduring community spirit.

The tour wrapped up at Popo Ice, where the group swapped history lessons for traditional Taiwanese shaved ice, a competitive round of bingo, and a guess-the-drawing game that had students laughing across language barriers. What started as a walk through old salt flats and gold shops ended with full bellies, new friendships, and a shared appreciation for the rich history packed into Yancheng District.