Lotus Pond Introduction
Lotus Pond is the only natural high-altitude lake within Taroko National Park, located on the opposite shore of the Central Cross-Island Highway bend at the northern ridge of Chaodung Mountain. It can be reached by following the Taoshan Creek Canyon cliffs northward, situated at an elevation of 1,180 meters. The pond has an outer diameter of over 500 meters. During the Japanese colonial period, the Truku people referred to it as "Heavenly Pond" because it was filled with water lilies. It was later renamed Lotus Pond. However, after veterans introduced fish into the pond, the water lilies gradually withered. Additionally, the pond experienced severe leakage, often reducing to just a puddle of water. As the elder veterans moved away over time, the farmland surrounding Lotus Pond gradually fell into disuse and returned to a natural state, transforming it into a rich ecological paradise where avian species, butterflies, and fish meet, making it a frequent habitat for wildlife.
