Lotus Pond Introduction
Lianhua Pond is the only natural alpine lake in Taroko National Park, located at the tail ridge of Chaodun Mountain across from the hairpin turn on the Central Cross-Island Highway. It can be reached by heading north along the cliffs of the Taoshan Creek valley, with an elevation of 1,180 meters and an outer diameter of over 500 meters. During the Japanese colonial period, the Taroko people referred to it as "Tian Tan" due to the abundance of lotus flowers in the pond at that time. It was later renamed Lianhua Pond. However, as veterans introduced grass carp into the pond, the lotus flowers gradually died off. Additionally, severe leakage in the pond often resulted in only a small pool of water remaining. After the aging veterans gradually moved away, the agricultural land around Lianhua Pond fell into disuse and slowly returned to a natural state, becoming a rich ecological paradise where avian species, butterflies, and fish congregate, with wildlife frequently visiting.
