Goodbye to small joys: Four major tourist attractions in Kaohsiung start charging fees

Farewell to freebies!* Four major tourist sites under the jurisdiction of Kaohsiung City’s Tourism Bureau — the Golden Lion Lake Butterfly Garden, Cijin Shell Museum, BaoLai Flower Viewing Hot Springs, and the soon-to-open Gangshan Eye — will begin charging admission fees ranging from NT$30 to NT$80 starting this January. The Tourism Bureau admitted that the public may find it hard to adjust in the short term, but the revenue will be used to improve services and maintenance quality.

Tourism Bureau Director Tseng Tzu-wen pointed out that since last year, the bureau has been revitalizing old attractions and securing funding from the central government. However, due to limited resources, generating revenue is necessary to enhance service quality — a concept of “user pays.” Since the fees were introduced on New Year’s Day, visitors have found them reasonable. Children, seniors, people with disabilities, and local residents can enter for free, while groups receive an 80% discount.

Tseng said the Golden Lion Lake Butterfly Garden’s full admission fee is NT$30. However, after renovation, the netted butterfly garden and butterfly-viewing skybridge now offer a full view of the entire garden, paired with professional guided tours, 3D landscape paintings, and hands-on workshops. The city government is promoting eco-tourism around Golden Lion Lake and Chengcing Lake, turning it into a new tourism highlight.

The Cijin Shell Museum also charges a full ticket price of NT$30. She noted that the museum recently collaborated with the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium to launch the “Crab Encounter Special Exhibition,” showcasing over 100 precious specimens and models of land-based, marine, edible, and poisonous crab species — including Taiwan’s largest giant snow crab ball. Volunteer-guided tours are currently available by reservation.

The Liouguei BaoLai Flower Viewing Hot Springs have received positive feedback since opening. Starting in January, foot soaking costs NT$50, while hand soaking remains free. However, some netizens complained online that they arrived to find the “hot springs had turned into cold springs,” with water temperatures at 34.5°C getting colder the longer they soaked, leaving them greatly disappointed and calling the experience a letdown.

In response, Tseng Tzu-wen refuted these claims, stating that the visitor arrived during off-hours and was not allowed to enter the foot soaking area. Furthermore, staff regularly patrol the site, use water tanks to maintain temperature, and remove mineral buildup from pipes, keeping the foot soaking area between 37°C and 40°C. Additionally, she said the Gangshan Eye is expected to open before Lunar New Year, with an admission fee of NT$80 for entry into the corridor.