The Lotus Pond is a popular tourist spot for visitors and residents of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. My girlfriend and I went last week to find out why!
The Lotus Pond or “蓮池潭” to the locals is a man-made lake surrounded by temples, pagodas, statues, and did I say temples? There’s a lot of temples.
Having recently enjoyed our visit to the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, we were excited to discover more sights here in Kaohsiung.
It doesn’t seem to be the most exciting place in Kaohsiung. But if you want to get your tourist on, Lotus Pond is the best place to do it. It is rich with Buddhist and Confucius culture, artistic stories and religious sculptures.
Getting to the Lotus Pond from Kaohsiung
The Lotus Pond is located in Kaohsiung’s Zuoying District, and predictably closest to the Zuoying high speed rail station.
You can jump on a public bicycle or catch the number 35 Red Line bus directly outside the station for just TWD $12 (~£0.30)!
There are plenty of attractions in the area, including my favourite; thePei Chi Pavilion (北極亭). As well as the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔), the Confucius Temple (孔廟), and the Spring and Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣).
Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔)
South of the Lotus Pond, you will find the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. To walk through the dragon’s mouth and out through the tiger symbolises is said to turn bad luck into good fortune!
Inside, ghoulish paintings depict ancient stories of heaven and hell to inspire visitors to do good deeds during their lifetime.
Spring and Autumn Pavilions (春秋閣)
Another temple and Chinese palace-style pavilions. You can also walk through this dragon. It is longer than it looks!
Pei Chi Pavilion (北極亭)
My favourite pavilion of the Lotus Pond, honours the Taoist “God Emperor of the North Pole”. At 72 meters tall, it is also the highest water statue in SE Asia!
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And where did you guys catch the bus ride back to kaohsiung statiion?