By KHT Staff. Images via Liberty Times.
KAOHSIUNG — Residents and municipal officials report that the Kaohsiung City Government’s multi-year effort to transform the former Fudingjin Cemetery (覆鼎金公墓) into a recreational forest has resulted in a marked increase in public attendance. Twin Lakes Park (雙湖公園), once characterized by low visitor numbers and labeled a “deserted park,” has seen a resurgence following strategic infrastructure and ecological interventions.
The Twin Lakes Park is not without critics, however. Some say the city should have been more aware of the difficulties in turning a graveyard into a park. Other critics say, in general, the city should be more strategic in the creation of parks, as more “green space” may look good on paper, but if they are not used, the spaces become drains on city park budgets, resulting in frequently used parks not getting the attention they deserve.
The site, spanning 45 hectares at the intersection of Sanmin (三民) and Renwu (仁武) districts, underwent a NT$200 million conversion process beginning in 2016. The Liberty Times reports that this project involved the relocation of approximately 70,000 graves. While the park officially opened in 2018, initial public engagement remained low due to lingering cultural stigmas and an entrance route that required passing the city’s primary funeral parlor.
Key transformation strategies included a bypass for funeral zones. The Public Works Bureau (工務局) recently converted narrow northern alleys into a two-way thoroughfare. Opened in January, this route allows visitors to access the park directly from Sanmin and Renwu while avoiding the funeral complex. The Water Resources Bureau (水利局) and Public Works Bureau also integrated detention ponds with intensive planting programs that added new flora selected specifically to attract butterflies and bees. Finally, the city constructed multiple walking trails to connect Twin Lakes Park with the neighboring Guoling Park (果嶺公園).
