Kaohsiung Lotus Pond | 蓮池潭

Located in Zuoying District in Kaohsiung, Lotus Pond 蓮池潭 is a beautiful manmade lake that was built in 1952. It's surrounded by Chinese deities, temples, pagodas, bridges, and even the famous Kaohsiung Confucius Temple 高雄左營孔子廟. 

A bit of a background, Zuoying 左營 is one of Kaohsiung's historical and cultural center, which explains why it is surrounded by traditional temples and architecture. 

The entire complex is quite large and you can choose the walk around (like I did) or even cycle there. 

Right before getting to the main portion of Lotus Pond, you'll pass through Kaohsiung Confucius Temple. This was originally built in 1684 but was eventually rebuilt and relocated in 1977.

As you get closer to Lotus Pond, the first iconic feature you'll see is the Xuantian Emperor Statue 玄天上帝神像, holding a sword to the entrance of the temple. There is a fish pond nearby, so feel free to purchase some fish food from the vending machine to feed the fish. They were starving the last time I was there!

Another popular place to visit while at the Lotus Pond is definitely the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda 龍虎塔. 

To get to the interior, you have to walk through a zigzag bridge which is said to keep ghosts and other spirits away. One thing to note: make sure to walk in through the mouth of the Dragon and exit through the mouth of the Tiger.  This represents bad luck being turned into good fortune. The interior consists of illustrations inspiring people to perform good deeds. 

I remember making a donation inside and picking up a free postcard of the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda while passing through the interior. Not a bad souvenir! 

Another must-visit site is the Spring and Autumn Pavilion 春秋御閣. At the entrance, we see goddess Guanyin 觀音 riding a dragon. As we walk inside, we see two octagonal towers with green tiles and yellow walls. 

For most of the pagodas and pavilions, you can easily climb up a couple of stories, though some of them are sealed so that you can't go all the way to the top. 

The atmosphere at Lotus Pond is very pleasant. I remember walking around the area one evening and some elderly locals were engaged in a karaoke session by the lake.

I've had the pleasure of visiting Lotus Pond several times, and I would recommend visiting during the evening so that you get to see the sunset. Lotus Pond is also lit up at night, so that makes for a different experience as well. 

Fun Fact: If you're a history nerd like me, make sure to visit the North Gate by the Old Walled City of Zuoying 舊城北門. It is right around the corner from Lotus Pond!

All the temples, pagodas etc. are free to enter. Transportation is convenient. Just hop onto the Kaohsiung metro station and get off at Zuoying Station. Walk for 15-20 minutes and you will arrive at your destination.

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