Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung Audio Guide

Lotus Pond: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung

   Welcome to Lotus Pond, one of the best-known sights in Kaohsiung. You are on the east side of Zuoying District, in the northern part of the city, beside an artificial lake that has been a favorite outing for generations. The setting is open water ringed with temples, pavilions, pagodas and walking paths, and the lake gets its name from the lotus plants that grow on it. This guide covers the pond and the temples around it as one lively landscape. Over the next few minutes we will look at how the pond came to be, at the temple that honors Confucius and Lord Guan, and at the pond's life as a working water source and an evening promenade. I will tell you what each of these places is known for and leave out anything I cannot stand behind. One practical thing to know first: this is not a quick photo stop. Visitors often plan for an hour and end up staying half a day, because the temples are spread around the water and the pace here invites you to slow down. So settle in, and let's start walking.

2. 02

   A Pond with Deep Roots

   Lotus Pond is an artificial lake, and it has two beginnings. As a tourist destination it opened in 1951. Its story, though, reaches much further back. Historical records connect the pond with a Confucian temple built here in 1686, when lotus flowers were planted in the water, and that is how the pond got its name. During the Qing Dynasty the scene was already famous. The landscape was counted among the Eight Sights of Fongshan, which tells you that people were coming here to admire the water long before the modern pagodas and promenades appeared. The lake was also practical. After two expansions it served the farms around it as well as the eye, because it supplied irrigation water. It covers about 42 hectares, which makes it the largest pond in Zuoying District, and it sits between two mountains. The water comes from the Kaoping River. So when you watch the lotus leaves, remember you are looking at a landscape that has been both a scenic spot and a working reservoir for a very long time.

3. 03

   Chi Ming Palace and the Two Sages

   Among the temples around the water, Chi Ming Palace is often called the most spectacular. It faces east and was rebuilt in 1973 as a three-story, palace-style building, a grand piece of architecture even by the standards of a lake lined with temples. It is mainly devoted to the worship of two sages: Confucius and Lord Guan. One is remembered as the great teacher, the other as the embodiment of loyalty and righteousness. Having both under one roof says a lot about how learning and loyalty sit side by side in Taiwanese religious life. The temple's founding story involves a decision made by chance and faith together. Those who founded Chi Ming Hall, including Xie Zhi Weng and Chen Wang Weng, constructed Ming De Hall by tossing divination blocks, which they took as the will of the gods. The temple is also tied to a worry of its time, when people in Taiwan feared being swayed by Japanese culture, folklore and religion. Chi Ming Palace is not the only temple here. Sianshu Three Mountain Palace stands opposite the new Confucian Temple of Lotus Pond, close to a market in Zuoying.

4. 04

   Pavilions, Pagodas and Living Tradition

   Now look at the structures that make the shoreline so photogenic: the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the Confucian Temple. The architecture can be deliberately theatrical, with colorful pavilions and large statues along the water. Children often enjoy walking through the dragon and tiger entrances, while adults appreciate the traditional design and the lakeside views. But the temples here are active places of worship, not a theme park. People still come to pray, burn incense and take part in ceremonies. That is part of what makes Lotus Pond rewarding. Old local temples, twentieth-century religious architecture and everyday life in Zuoying share the same shoreline. The pond is also known for sunset, when the surrounding mountains are reflected in the water. In 2004 a project called Lighting up the pond added evening illumination, and together with the cycling route that circles the pond it turned the lake into an attraction by day and by night. Many retired local people come simply to relax by the water, so you will see the pond as a neighborhood space as well as a landmark.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Lotus Pond sits close to Zuoying Jiucheng station on the Taiwan Railway and to Zuoying station on the high speed rail, so it is easy to reach, and that is one reason it is such a popular stop. Even so, the best way to understand it is slowly. Give it half a day if you can, and walk or cycle part of the circuit so the lake keeps changing around you. As you go, try noticing three things. Look for the difference between the temples that feel newly built and the ones with older stories. Watch how people actually use the place, whether in prayer, in exercise or simply sitting by the water. And look at the mountains behind the lake, which frame the sunset view. There is a lot more to discover here, from the many temples around the shore to the Qing Dynasty view that once ranked among the Eight Sights of Fongshan. Pick one corner you have not yet explored, and see what its story turns out to be.