Mei Nung Lake Introduction
Meinan Lake was built in 1748, covering an area of 21 hectares, making it the second largest artificial lake in Kaohsiung City after Chengching Lake. It is surrounded by mountains to the northwest and rice fields on three sides, offering picturesque scenery of lake and mountains. The entire area around Meinan Lake features a lakeside trail and bike paths, making it a popular spot for tourists to bike, walk, or fish. The tourism service center provides bike rentals. The eastern side of Meinan Lake is planned to be planted with several tree species such as Red Flower Ironwood, Bald Cypress, Willow, Royal Poinciana, and Neem, as well as flowering shrubs and aquatic plants, adding ecological education functions to its beautiful landscape. The bird-watching area was originally the only water source depended upon by local residents for daily life and irrigation during the Japanese occupation, which later silted up. Although its irrigation function has decreased, it has created islands and dense aquatic plants, becoming an ideal ecological habitat for birds, with over 60 species, making it a great place for birdwatching in southern Taiwan. In addition to common species like Purple Gallinule, Water Hen, and Night Heron, there are also rare species like the Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Pond Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Eurasian Wigeon, Red Falcon, Fish Eagle, and Water Hen. From October to March each year, large numbers of migratory birds come here to rest, attracting many bird lovers to watch or photograph them. The beautiful landscape of Meinan Lake is often captured, with the "Chung Cheng Pavilion" located in the center of the lake being built after former President Chiang Kai-shek visited twice in 1956, renaming the area from Zhongzhen Pond to Meinan Lake. In 1996, locals initiated a renaming to "Meinan Lake." The Meinan Hakka Cultural Museum, established in 2001, carries the important mission of preserving and passing on Hakka cultural history, planned and operated with the concept of a community museum to achieve the goals of cultural subjectivity and regional cultural development, showcasing the diverse history and culture of Meinan while enhancing understanding and interaction among local ethnic groups. Over 90% of the population in Meinan District is of Hakka descent, making it the town with the most intact Hakka culture in Taiwan. The exterior of the Meinan Hakka Cultural Museum combines the design of a "Smoke Tower" and "Courtyard," using a "reconstruction" approach in design, with construction materials showcasing a simple, unpretentious image. Inside, the two-story exhibition space condenses aspects of Hakka culture, including food, clothing, living, education, and entertainment, utilizing various media, physical objects, photographs, documents, videos, tapes, replica models, ecological landscaping, and interactive displays to present historical styles. The first floor has a permanent exhibition area, specialty product display area, DIY classroom, artifact display area, and special exhibition room, with the DIY classroom offering various handcrafted teaching activities. Currently, they offer a DIY workshop for painting paper umbrellas, which can be purchased at the service desk for creative painting. The second floor includes theme halls, a children's exploration area, and an artifact display area. The children's exploration area incorporates "blocks" as materials, integrating the natural and cultural landscape features of Meinan into each play corner and introducing unique large foreign soft building blocks, making it an excellent space for parent-child interaction and learning. Yong'an Old Street, known in the past as "Minong," was established by Hakka people who moved from Pingtung's Ligang, crossing the Laonong River to build "Minong Village" in the Moonlight Mountain area. When developing the village, the early ancestors constructed 24 dormitories and prayed for a "permanent peace" by naming it Yong'an Street. It has a history of over 200 years and was once the most prosperous street during its early development. Starting from the Jingzi Pavilion in Minong Village on the west side to the East Gate Tower, there is approximately a two-kilometer stretch filled with rustic charm, including the Desheng Temple, Bokong Shrine, Songwu Academy, ancient wells, Hakka blue shirt shops, old bridges, and aqueducts, along with countless traditional Hakka dormitories and beautiful gate towers that tell the stories of 200 years of resilience and beauty. Tired walkers can enjoy a few delicious Hakka snacks at the market or deeply explore the Hakka culture at the Hakka Cultural Museum or enjoy the pleasant scenery by the aqueduct, where every flying eave and turn offers a graceful history and emotion. Yong'an Old Street is a condensed reflection of Hakka culture and embodies the essence of Meinan. The East Gate Tower is located at the end of Yong'an Road, along the main axis that runs through the village, witnessing the history of the establishment of Meinan Village. During the Qing Dynasty, Meinan Village was centered on Yong'an Street and had surrounding barriers, with the East Gate being the only one to have a gate tower. The East Gate Tower is the most famous landmark in Meinan, characterized by a unique shape. Its exact construction date is difficult to ascertain; it is believed to have been built around 1755, renovated from the original East Gate of Minong Village. In 1937, local gentry initiated its reconstruction, culminating in the current three-story, steel-reinforced concrete structure, standing tall and majestic. The gate tower features the inscription "Daqi Wenming" (Great Enlightenment of Civilization), replicating a former inscription by Huang Xiangyun from the Minong Village who passed the imperial examination in 1829. In 2000, it was designated as a historic site. The Zeng Wenzhong Art Museum was founded by Zeng Wenzhong, a Kaohsiung Meinan-born artist who dedicated his life to art education. He is a prominent oil and watercolor painter, focusing on the scenery of Meinan in his works, which are simple and natural. After retiring, he devoted himself to artistic creation, promoting Hakka culture and the local scenery of Meinan. Deeply attached to the local customs and beautiful landscapes, Zeng combined his watercolor and oil painting techniques to create hundreds of works illustrating the landscapes of his hometown, similar to the Peach Blossom Spring, while donating a series of large oil paintings to cultural agencies and schools to foster aesthetic education among students. Having grown up in a traditional Hakka dormitory on Yong'an Old Street, Zeng has a deep affection for these uniquely shaped dormitories, which have gradually disappeared due to aging. He actively engaged in saving and revitalizing these dormitories, converting his family home into the Zeng Wenzhong Art Museum, where he showcases works by himself and other artists, providing a venue for arts and literature lectures. Zeng once stated, "The beauty of Meinan is not inferior to that of scenic spots around the world; as a Hakka descendant, I present the emotions I remember through my brush, hoping the audience can also feel the beauty of Meinan."
