Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
蓮池潭龍虎塔
A pair of seven-story pagodas on the shore of Lotus Pond. Visitors enter through the dragon's mouth and exit through the tiger's, symbolizing the warding off of disaster. Together with Spring and Autumn Pavilion and the Confucius Temple, they make this Kaohsiung's most temple-filled landmark.
The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas stand on the southwest shore of Lotus Pond in Zuoying District. They were built in 1976 by Ciji Temple and consist of a pair of seven-story pagodas. In front of them are a dragon and a tiger with wide-open mouths. Following tradition, visitors walk through from the dragon's mouth to the tiger's, believing this brings good fortune and averts misfortune. The inner walls of the dragon and tiger bodies are painted with the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, the Ten Courts of Hell and the Jade Emperor. Inside the pagodas, staircases lead to the top, where you can take in a panoramic view of Lotus Pond. It is one of Kaohsiung's most recognizable landmarks, and international media often name it among Taiwan's most photogenic sights.
Lotus Pond itself is an artificial lake of about 42 hectares. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the pan pond of the Fengshan County school. More than 20 temples and pavilions surround the lake. These include the Beiji Xuantian Shangdi statue (a 72-meter water-side deity statue, the tallest in Southeast Asia), Spring and Autumn Pavilion and Wuli Pavilion (with a statue of Guanyin riding a dragon), Qiming Hall, the Confucius Temple (a palatial building modeled on the Confucius Temple in Beijing), and the old Zuoying City of the Qing era, the former Fengshan County town, whose east gate, north gate and city walls are well preserved. All of them can be reached on foot along the lake. A full circuit is about 5 km, and bicycles are also available for rent. The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas underwent a major renovation in 2023 and 2024 and have reopened with fresh paint and lighting. Admission is free, with a donation box on site.
Visiting tips: morning light is best. Walking from the pagodas along the lake to Spring and Autumn Pavilion and the Xuantian Shangdi statue takes about 40 minutes, and continuing to the Confucius Temple brings the total to 1.5 to 2 hours. At night, the pagodas and lakeside lights offer a different scene. Getting there: take bus Red 35 from Zuoying Station or Ecological Park Station on the Red MRT Line, about 10 minutes, or ride a YouBike from Zuoying High-Speed Rail Station for about 15 minutes. From Zuoying Station on the Taiwan Railways, it is about a 15-minute walk.
Notes: the staircases inside the pagodas are steep and narrow. Weekends and temple fairs are crowded. There is no shade by the lake, so protect yourself from the sun.
Opening hours
08:00–18:00 (exterior lit at night)
Nearby sights
- Old Fongshan City (Zuoying)
- Ruifeng Night Market
- Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
- Shoushan Nature Park (Chaishan)
- Sanfong Central Street
- Liuhe Night Market
- Science and Technology Museum
- Formosa Boulevard Station Dome of Light