More than just lotus and water lilies: “Water caltrop flowers” successfully revived in Zuoying

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

In addition to enjoying lotus and water lilies at Lotus Pond, visitors can now also admire water caltrop flowers. The Zuoying Lotus Pond Scenic Area has established a water caltrop ecological pond near the Confucius Temple beside the pond. The water caltrops are now growing well, densely covering the pond’s surface, creating a charming contrast with the lotus blooms in the center of the pond and the weeping willows along the shore.


▲ Successful revival of water caltrops at Zuoying Lotus Pond Scenic Area. (Photo / Provided by Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau)

According to records, the area around Zuoying Lotus Pond had water caltrop fields as early as during the Qing Dynasty. Later, during the Japanese colonial period, they were cultivated on a planned, large scale, making it the largest water caltrop production area in Taiwan. Thanks to the excellent soil quality, the water caltrops grown here were especially delicious, and “Zuoying water caltrops” were already well-known throughout Taiwan at that time. However, as the Zuoying area became more urbanized, the water caltrop fields gradually disappeared.

The once widespread water caltrop fields in the Lotus Pond area also provided an ideal habitat for wild birds. For example, the once-endangered protected bird species “pheasant-tailed jacana” (Hydrophasianus chirurgus), which loved to inhabit the water caltrop fields, was even nicknamed the “water caltrop bird.” Nowadays, with the disappearance of these fields, sightings of these elegant birds have become rare. This year, the Kaohsiung City Tourism Bureau established a water caltrop ecological pond beside the Confucius Temple at Lotus Pond. The water caltrop plants in the pond are now thriving and have begun to bear fruit. With the successful revival of the water caltrops, plans are underway to allow the public to rediscover and experience the joy of harvesting water caltrops while gaining a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the Zuoying area.