Longhu Ta in Kaohsiung, dragon and tiger pagodas on Lotus Pond
Published on 09/19/2026 at 10:23 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Longhu Ta in Kaohsiung is a temple complex where twin pagoda towers and giant dragon and tiger figures stand out over Lotus Pond, turning religious architecture into a walkable lakeside landmark in southern Taiwan. Built in 1976 in Zuoying District, the site brings late twentieth-century temple construction into an already established landscape of shrines, pavilions and promenades around the water.
Pagoda towers rising from Lotus Pond
Longhu Ta centres on two multi-storey pagoda towers set on platforms out over the water near the shore of Lotus Pond in Zuoying District, on the northern side of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan.Dragon and Tiger Pagodas Each tower rises from a concrete or masonry base connected to the shore by walkways, so the pagodas read as vertical landmarks emerging from the lake surface rather than from solid ground.seven-storey Dragon and Tiger Pagodas Their red, yellow and other strong colours are visible along the edge of the water, adding height and colour to a shoreline otherwise lined largely with lower temple halls.
The towers are commonly known in English as the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and locally by the Chinese name Longhu Ta, literally “Dragon Tiger Pagoda”.temple located at Lotus Lake in Zuoying District Their pagoda form draws on older Chinese architectural traditions, with stacked levels, projecting roofs and open internal floors, while the lakeside platforms and walkways integrate the towers into the broader Lotus Pond temple landscape that includes other complexes linked by bridges and promenades.pair of brightly coloured pagodas on the shore of Lotus Pond
Dragon and tiger guardians as walk-through figures
One of the most distinctive features of Longhu Ta is the way the dragon and tiger guardians are built as large painted figures whose bodies form corridors leading from the lakeside promenade to the bases of the pagoda towers.corridors built in the likeness of the eponymous creatures The dragon figure is associated with one tower and the tiger with the other, so that each pagoda has a corresponding animal gateway between the shore and its platform.one of the towers is the Tiger Tower, the other the Dragon Tower Visitors enter the complex by walking through the mouths and bodies of these figures, making the approach to the towers part of the experience of the site.
The bodies of the dragon and tiger are painted with bright colours and stylised details that reflect Taiwanese folk religious expression of the period when the complex was built.colour palette and playful dragon and tiger figures Set against the water of Lotus Pond and the more traditional forms of nearby shrines, these guardians make Longhu Ta an easily recognisable element of the lakeside landscape, combining large-scale animal imagery with the more vertical geometry of the pagoda towers.
A late twentieth-century temple in Zuoying
The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Longhu Ta were built in 1976, adding a late twentieth-century layer to the religious architecture around Lotus Pond.The temple was built in 1976 Their construction took place in Zuoying District, a northern part of Kaohsiung, in a lakeside area already shaped by older temple complexes and pavilions around the water’s edge.broader Lotus Pond temple landscape in Zuoying District The addition of the dragon and tiger towers introduced taller structures whose profiles rise above many of the surrounding buildings.
Lotus Pond, also known as Lotus Lake, forms a scenic district of Kaohsiung with a chain of religious sites along its shores, and Longhu Ta stands among them as one of the more visually striking temples.historic district of southern Taiwan The combination of pagoda towers, animal guardians and lakeside setting links the complex to wider patterns of temple building in Taiwan during the 1970s, when new structures were added to long-established religious landscapes.
Visiting Longhu Ta: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Longhu Ta stands beside Lotus Pond, also called Lotus Lake, in Zuoying District in the northern part of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, with the pagoda platforms set out over the water near the shore.
- The temple sits in a lakeside area where approach routes involve promenades and walkways along and over the water, including paths that pass through the dragon and tiger figures to reach the bases of the towers.
- Zuoying District forms part of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan, and city transport connections link the broader Lotus Pond area with other districts and travel hubs within Kaohsiung.
- The official language is Chinese and the currency is the New Taiwan dollar.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Longhu Ta on social platforms
These links open searches for Longhu Ta on each platform.Frequently asked questions about Longhu Ta
Where is Longhu Ta located?
Longhu Ta stands beside Lotus Pond, also known as Lotus Lake, in Zuoying District in the northern part of Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan.
What should visitors expect at Longhu Ta?
Visitors encounter two multi-storey pagoda towers set on platforms over the water, approached by walkways that pass through large dragon and tiger figures painted in bright colours.
What makes Longhu Ta distinctive among temples in Kaohsiung?
The combination of twin lakeside pagoda towers, the walk-through dragon and tiger guardians and the setting on Lotus Pond makes Longhu Ta a particularly recognisable temple complex in Zuoying.
