Dragon and Tiger Pagodas featured in Wannian Festival on 7 October
Published on 11/07/2026 at 09:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSFestival route and landmark setting
- Kaohsiung’s five-day festival began on 7 October 2026 around Lotus Pond and was organised by Kaohsiung City Government.
- The fire-lion procession reached the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas area during the 7 to 11 October programme.
- The seven-storey towers were built in the 1970s on the southern edge of Lotus Pond.
Dragon and Tiger Pagodas were part of the Wannian Folklore Festival in Kaohsiung from 7 to 11 October 2026. The five-day programme connected the towers at Lotus Pond with fire-lion rituals, temple visits and public performances across Zuoying.
The festival is a current travel story for visitors who want to see how the landmark fits into the wider religious landscape of southern Taiwan.
Wannian Festival linked the pagodas with Lotus Pond rites
The Wannian Folklore Festival was organised by Kaohsiung City Government through its Civil Affairs Bureau. The official programme placed the main activity site at the Confucius Temple and spread events through the temples and streets around Lotus Pond.
The schedule ran from 7 October to 11 October 2026. It included fire-lion processions, temple visits, traditional activities, stage performances and a closing street parade. The organiser’s festival programme identified a route to the Ciji Temple, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the nearby image plaza.
The opening fire-lion ceremony took place at Yuandi Temple on 7 October, followed by a blessing procession. On 9 October, the programme included the performance Family Generals Theatre, while fire performances were scheduled for 10 October. The final day brought a local performance programme and the fire-lion street carnival.
Seven-storey pagodas frame a modern Lotus Pond tradition
The twin towers stand on the southern edge of Lotus Pond in Zuoying District. They are seven storeys high, connected to the shore by a zigzag bridge and approached through corridors shaped like a dragon and a tiger.
The towers were built in the 1970s, giving the festival a landmark that is modern in date but closely tied to the area’s temple culture. Visitors traditionally enter through the dragon’s mouth and leave through the tiger’s jaws. This route is part of the site’s visual and religious identity, rather than a separate festival performance.
The surrounding lake is lined with temples, pavilions and historic remains. The Lotus Pond landmark guide places the pagodas among the southern lakeside sights and records the route from Zuoying MRT station by bus R51 or 301.
The festival route reached the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
The link between the festival and the towers was practical as well as symbolic. The official map directed visitors towards the Ciji Temple and the pagoda area, while the wider programme used Lotus Pond’s temples as stages for processions, blessings and community activities.
That arrangement means the towers were not an isolated stop during the festival. They formed part of a walk through Zuoying’s religious sites, with the lake, bridge and temple buildings providing the setting for the fire-lion route. The event therefore placed the pagodas within the living festival geography of Kaohsiung.
The national tourism authority listed the event for 7 to 11 October 2026 and named the Kaohsiung City Government Civil Affairs Bureau as organiser. Its official event listing described the festival as a public cultural celebration around Lotus Pond and surrounding temples.
Visiting Dragon and Tiger Pagodas: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Wannian Folklore Festival ran from 7 October to 11 October 2026 around Lotus Pond, with the pagodas included on the official route.
- The event has ended, so travellers visiting after 11 October 2026 will find the landmark rather than the festival programme, procession or stage performances.
- The towers are on the southern edge of Lotus Pond in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung. The festival organiser listed access from old Zuoying railway station to the Ciji Temple, pagodas and image plaza.
- The landmark consists of two seven-storey towers joined to the shore by a zigzag bridge. The dragon-mouth entrance and tiger-jaw exit define the visitor route.
- Taiwan’s official language is Mandarin Chinese and its national 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.
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Frequently asked questions about Dragon and Tiger Pagodas
When did the Wannian Folklore Festival take place?
The festival ran from 7 October to 11 October 2026 around Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung, with the pagodas included on its route.
Where are Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and how do you get there?
They stand on the southern edge of Lotus Pond in Zuoying District. Bus R51 or 301 serves the pond from Zuoying MRT station.
What are Dragon and Tiger Pagodas?
They are twin seven-storey pagodas built in the 1970s and connected to the shore by a zigzag bridge.
