Taiwan Food Atlas

Qishan Banana

A remnant of the banana kingdom era — the Baroque flavor memory of Qishan Old Street
📍 Kaohsiung · Qishan Old Street⭐ Notable · Local Agricultural Products🔖 Historical produce · Baroque architecture · Banana-derived products

Qishan banana is a Taiwan Cavendish (bei jiao) variety grown in Kaohsiung's Qishan District, the heartland of Taiwan's 1960s "banana kingdom" era, when exports to Japan earned foreign exchange worth roughly 8 to 10 percent of Taiwan's total export value and about three-quarters of those exported bananas came from the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region — giving rise to the saying "gold in the north at Jiufen, golden bananas in the south at Qishan." The well-preserved Baroque colonnade shopfronts along Qishan Old Street still bear witness to that golden era, and the banana itself lives on through ice cream, pastry, and cake.

The 1960s were the peak of Taiwan's "banana kingdom" era: foreign exchange earned from banana exports to Japan accounted for roughly 8 to 10 percent of Taiwan's total export value at the time, and about three-quarters of those exported bananas came from the Kaohsiung-Pingtung region, with Qishan as one of the core production areas — giving rise to the saying "gold in the north at Jiufen, golden bananas in the south at Qishan." Market share began declining in the early 1970s under competition from large Philippine plantations.

What is Qishan Banana?

The main variety grown in Qishan is the Bei Jiao (Taiwan Cavendish) — fine-grained flesh, high sweetness, and strong aroma, entirely different from imported bananas. At peak ripeness the skin turns golden yellow speckled with tiny sesame-like dots, with sugar content that can reach above 20 degrees Brix. Fresh bananas from Qishan are still sold in the local farmers' market, but most visitors encounter the processed derivatives: banana pastry (xiang jiao su) is a fried snack coated in a sugar shell; banana cake is baked with mashed banana folded into the batter, preserving the banana's natural sweetness.

Qishan banana's historical peak was the 1960s and 1970s, when annual exports to Japan reached hundreds of thousands of metric tons and drove substantial commercial development in Qishan's town center. After Japan's import liberalization, the Qishan banana industry collapsed sharply and many growers changed livelihoods. The Baroque colonnade building cluster of Qishan Old Street is the physical legacy of commercial investment during the boom years; it is now listed as a protected historic site. The Qishan Farmers' Association continues to promote the banana brand, keeping this history from being severed.

How to eat it like a local

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Banana ice creamThe most widespread banana experience on Qishan Old Street — a single-scoop ice cream made with local bananas, far more genuinely aromatic than artificial banana flavoring.
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Look for the sesame dotsWhen buying fresh Qishan bananas, wait for the fine sesame-like dots to appear on the skin — that is the sign of optimal ripeness, when sweetness and softness are in balance.
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Banana pastry as a souvenirAvailable sealed for room-temperature storage. Multiple shops on Qishan Old Street carry them. When choosing, compare the banana filling content between brands — higher content means more natural aroma.
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Eat and walk the architectureEat as you walk through Qishan Old Street's Baroque colonnade section, comparing old photographs to understand the commercial scale of the banana boom years — reading the food and the buildings together.

Local knowledge

Objective credentials

  • Qishan was the core production area during Taiwan's 1960s banana export peak. The Qishan Farmers' Association maintains systematic historical records and promotional materials on the banana industry.
  • The Baroque building cluster on Qishan Old Street is listed as a historic site — physical evidence of commercial investment during the banana industry's prosperous period.
  • Qishan remains one of Taiwan's important Bei Jiao banana production areas; fresh local bananas circulate regularly at the Qishan farmers' market.

Practical tips

  • Qishan Old Street is crowded with tourists on weekends; banana ice cream queues run long. Weekday visits or early arrival are recommended.
  • Some banana products on the old street use imported bananas or artificial banana flavoring — ask whether in-season Qishan bananas are used before buying.
  • Qishan has no MRT station. From central Kaohsiung, take the Taiwan Railways to Pingdong or Kaohsiung Station, then transfer to a coach bus; driving takes about 40 minutes.

Source: Qishan Farmers' Association banana promotional materials; Qishan Old Street historic building records. Photos to be replaced after Dio's on-site shoot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Qishan called the banana kingdom?

In the 1960s Qishan was a core production area for banana exports to Japan, which earned foreign exchange equal to 8-10% of Taiwan's total export value, giving rise to the "banana kingdom" nickname.

What does "gold in the north at Jiufen, golden bananas in the south at Qishan" mean?

It compares Jiufen's gold-mining wealth to Qishan's banana export wealth — both towns were, in different eras, symbols of getting rich in Taiwan.

Why did Qishan's banana industry decline?

In the early 1970s, competition from large Philippine plantations undercut Taiwan's price and supply position, and Qishan's banana exports to Japan gradually declined.

Can you still buy fresh Qishan bananas today?

Fresh local bananas still circulate at the Qishan farmers' market, though most visitors encounter them through banana ice cream, banana pastry, and other processed products.

Sources

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