Chengcing Lake
The Chengcing Lake (also Cheng Ching Lake , Chinese 澄清湖 , Pinyin Chéngqīnghú , PEH OE jī Teng-Chheng-O , or Taiwanese大埤湖TOA pi-o ) is a reservoir and tourist resort in the district Niaosong the Kaohsiung city in southern Taiwan . With an area of 1.03 square kilometers and 3.37 million m³ of storage space, it is the largest lake in the city center and plays an important role in the water supply.
history
Today's waters go back to the Cao Gong irrigation system from the 18th century, which was used to irrigate the surrounding fields. In 1940, the Japanese colonial rulers converted the irrigation system into a larger reservoir to meet Kaohsiung's increasing water needs after industrialization and after the start of World War II. The newly created lake was called Toā-pi-ô͘ , based on a smaller lake called Sio-pi-ô͘ , which was absorbed in the new body of water. After the war, the lake became a popular place to stay for President Chiang Kai-shek , who built a country house here for himself and gave the lake its current name in 1963. In addition, Chiang had barracks built on the lakeshore with a command bunker and underground passages in the event of an air or nuclear attack. In 1987, the Chengcing Lake entered into a partnership with the Lake Tazawa in the Japanese prefecture of Akita . At the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, the park area was the venue for archery and orienteering competitions.
Landscape and landmarks
Chengcing Lake is a popular local recreation and travel destination in the Kaohsiung area. Most of the lake shore is open to the public as a park. Hiking trails with rest areas and viewpoints lead around the lake. The former military building now houses an aquarium and a curiosity museum. The former country house Chiang Kai-sheks can also be visited today. There is space for activities such as barbecuing, camping and rowing at certain points in the park. On the eastern bank is a Qing dynasty- style restaurant that is partly built into the lake area. Other attractions of the lake are the nine-curve bridge , Fuguo Island and Jhongsing Pagoda , at 43 m the tallest building in the park, from which there is a good view of the lake and the surrounding area.
The Kaohsiung Grand Hotel , Chengcing Lake Baseball Stadium and Chang Gung Hospital are in close proximity to the lake .