Kaohsiung Religion Free Walking Tour

You're at Lotus Pond, standing in front of a giant dragon's mouth, and you can't tell if you're supposed to walk into it. Plenty of visitors here feel the same way. This walk sorts that out.

Zuoying has more temples packed into it than any other part of Kaohsiung. It's also where the city started: the oldest developed area and Kaohsiung's first political center, shaped by an old military base and township. Your guide shows you the gods people worship here and how local religious life grew out of that history. You'll also see how temple life fits into a modern, busy city, in a neighborhood known for different faiths living side by side and respecting each other.

Six stops, one pond

1. Lotus Pond

2. Cih Ji Temple

3. Dragon and Tiger Pagodas

4. Chi Ming Temple

5. Spring and Autumn Pavilions

6. Statue of Xuantian Emperor

Before you head out

• Book first. You can't join without a booking. Use the booking form.

• Bring: comfortable walking shoes, a bottle of water, and an umbrella if you need one.

• Rain or shine. The tour only gets canceled if the Kaohsiung City Government announces a day off for a natural disaster. If that happens, you'll hear about it one day in advance.

• Groups of 5 or more, and travel-agency groups: please fill in the private tour request form so the tour can fit what you need. The free tours are meant for solo travelers and small groups. Big groups that turn up without notice or a booking may be turned away.

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