By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung’s paired green attractions, the former golf course turned Guoling Nature Park (高雄果嶺自然公園) and Chengcing Lake Scenic Area (澄清湖風景區), drew a combined 220,000 visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday, highlighting the growing appeal of the city’s expanding urban green belt.
According to the Kaohsiung City Public Works Bureau’s Parks Office, the two adjacent parks together form a 470-hectare green corridor that has rapidly become a major leisure destination. From the first to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year holiday, Guoling Nature Park alone welcomed more than 110,000 visitors, with a single-day peak of 30,109 on the third day, setting a new attendance record since the park opened last year.
Officials also reminded visitors that to help protect the Guoling Parks’ ecological environment, pets are not permitted, littering is prohibited, and walking trails in Guoling Nature Park are restricted to pedestrians, with bicycles and motor vehicles banned to preserve safety and the natural setting.
Chengcing Lake also saw a dramatic rise in visitors during the same period. On the third day of the holiday, attendance jumped to 28,741, compared with just over 6,000 during equivalent holiday periods in recent years. Officials attributed the surge to the complementary effect of the two neighboring parks, which now function as a unified recreational zone attracting both residents and tourists from other counties and cities.
Visitor data suggests the parks are increasingly drawing travelers from outside Kaohsiung. While local residents accounted for more than 85 percent of visitors during Guoling Park’s initial opening holiday period in October 2025, the proportion of out-of-town visitors rose to about 38 percent during this year’s Lunar New Year. At Chengcing Lake, non-local visitors made up 41.8 percent of total attendance over the four-day holiday stretch.
The Parks Office urged visitors to use public transportation due to limited parking capacity around the sites. Recommended routes include Taiwan Railways stops at Kaohsiung Station and Zhengyi Station, as well as MRT stations such as Weiwuying, Sanduo Shopping District, and Cianjhen Senior High School, with bus connections including routes 60, 70, Y1, and Y2 providing access to Chengcing Lake.
