Lotus Pond, Zuoying: What to See, and What Everybody Gets Wrong
August 11, 2026 · 3 min read · Her Journey
Lotus Pond is the most photographed place in Kaohsiung and one of the least understood. Here is what is actually around it, and how to behave once you are inside.
The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
Built in 1976, so not ancient — but the idea behind them is very old. You walk in through the dragon's mouth and out through the tiger's. The dragon is auspicious, the tiger is fierce; entering the dragon and leaving the tiger turns bad luck into good.
Walking it backwards is the thing visitors do most often. Nobody will stop you. But the aunties will notice.
Inside the connecting corridor are painted panels of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars and scenes of the Chinese underworld — a moral education delivered in bright enamel. Give them five minutes; they explain more about Taiwanese values than any museum caption.
Spring and Autumn Pavilions
Two pavilions dedicated to Guan Gong, the deified general of the Three Kingdoms. Between them, a huge statue of Guanyin riding a dragon.
The story locals tell: Guanyin appeared here riding a dragon and instructed worshippers to build her image between the two pavilions. So they did. The dragon's mouth is another walk-through corridor, and it is usually much quieter than the Dragon and Tiger.
Wuliting and the Pei Chi Pavilion
Further along you will find the Wuli Pavilion and a statue of Xuan Wu — the Northern God — standing seven storeys tall on the water, sword drawn. It is genuinely startling at dusk, and almost nobody walks that far.
The part visitors miss: the old walled city
Ten minutes inland is Zuoying's real history. The Qing dynasty built a walled town here in 1826, and the East Gate (Fongyi Gate) still stands with a section of wall you can climb. The Fongyi Academy, the best-preserved Qing academy in Taiwan, is a short walk further.
Very few tourists make this turn. It is the single best reason to come to Zuoying with someone who can tell you what you are looking at.
Temple etiquette in ninety seconds
- Step over the threshold, never on it. The raised wooden beam at the door is not a step.
- Enter by the right-hand door, exit by the left as you face the temple — the centre door is for the god.
- Photos of the building are fine. Photos of people praying are not, unless you ask.
- If you want to try casting fortune blocks (the two red crescents), watch someone first, or ask. The answer depends on how they land, and there is a correct way to phrase the question.
- Incense is usually offered freely. Take it if you want to participate — nobody minds a respectful visitor.
When to go
Early. Between 8 and 10am the pond belongs to the neighbourhood: tai chi, dog walkers, temple caretakers sweeping. By noon in summer it is 34°C with no shade on the causeways.
Second best is the last hour before sunset, when the pagodas turn orange and the light on the water is worth the trip on its own.
Getting there
Red Line to Ecological District (R14), exit 2, then a ten-minute walk. Zuoying HSR station is one stop further north if you are coming from Taipei or Tainan.
We run a free walking tour of Zuoying most weeks, plus a half-day culture experience that includes the temple ritual and a market lunch.