Kaohsiung Religion Free Walking Tour

You're standing at the edge of Lotus Pond. There's a giant dragon in front of you, a tiger next to it, and incense smoke drifting from somewhere behind. You have no idea which mouth to walk into, or who that god on the pavilion roof is supposed to be.

That's normal. Zuoying has the highest density of temples in Kaohsiung, and plenty of visitors wander through without knowing what they're looking at. On this free walking tour, a local guide explains it all as you go.

What you'll get out of it

• A look at local religious life and how history shaped it

• A walk through Zuoying, the oldest developed part of Kaohsiung and the city's first political center. Its old military base and township made it one of the region's earliest communities

• Different faiths sharing the same streets and respecting each other, right in the middle of everyday city life

• A crash course in who's who among the gods worshipped in Taiwan

The route

  LOTUS POND
   ├─ 1  Lotus Pond
   ├─ 2  Cih Ji Temple
   ├─ 3  Dragon & Tiger Pagodas
   ├─ 4  Chi Ming Temple
   ├─ 5  Spring & Autumn Pavilions
   └─ 6  Statue of Xuantian Emperor

Six stops, all around Lotus Pond: Lotus Pond, Cih Ji Temple, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, Chi Ming Temple, the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, and the Statue of Xuantian Emperor.

Before you go

• Wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring water, or an umbrella if the sky looks moody.

• The tour goes ahead in the rain. If the Kaohsiung City Government declares a natural-disaster day off, the tour is canceled and you'll hear about it one day in advance.

• Coming with 5 or more people, or with a travel agency group? Free tours are built for solo travelers and small groups. Please fill in the private tour request form instead. Big groups that show up without notice or a booking may be turned away.

• Like It Formosa has the final say on anything not covered here.

Meeting point

Book your spot on the tour · More tour info