Critics say the govt hasn’t provided a reason for closing a place that is a part of many local people’s childhood memories
KAOHSIUNG – Chengcing Lake, taken over by the Kaohsiung City Government in July and now free to the public, is set to lose one of its best-known attractions. The “Marine Wonders Pavilion,” an aquarium housed in a Cold War–era bunker, will close at the end of the year after more than three decades in operation.
Built in 1959 as a nuclear command and air-raid shelter, the underground complex included a generator, command post, supply rooms, and even a private suite for ROC President Chiang Kai-shek. His son, President Chiang Ching-kuo, later reinforced the entrance with a five-ton steel-and-lead blast door to withstand radiation. After Chiang’s death, the site sat abandoned for nearly 20 years before being converted in 1992 by the Taiwan Water Corporation into an aquarium.
Above: Entrance to the bunker-turned-aquarium, and right: blast-proof doors.
The 200-meter corridor was fitted with 29 large tanks holding more than 500 marine animals, alongside coral fossil displays. Original military signage was preserved, and the former war room became a coral fossil gallery complete with defensive firing slits. The pavilion’s eight themed zones showcased sea stars, seahorses, rays, tropical fish, sharks, and eels—including a 30-year-old giant moray considered the aquarium’s elder resident. Notable exhibits also included a thousand-year-old black coral tree and a massive clam fossil.
Above: Fossils, some perhaps many tens of thousands of years old are also on display at the Chengcing Lake aquarium.
Councilor Kuo Chien-meng (郭建盟) said the pavilion had long been a must-see for southern Taiwanese visiting Chengcing Lake. But with the operator’s contract now expired, the city has ordered its closure.
Public reaction has been swift and critical according to reports from UDN, the Liberty Times, Cava.tw, TVBS and other media outlets. Comments online included questions such as, “What will happen to the animals?” Others went as far as accusing the city of wrongdoing: “Why not renew the contract? Kaohsiung is losing a great facility while the government only chases profit.”
The Kaohsiung Times has requested comment from city officials but has not yet received a reply.