Kaohsiung Launches 'Ride with the Wind' Cycling Series Featuring Guanyin Lake

Kaohsiung has initiated its annual "Ride with the Wind" cycling event series, with the inaugural activity focusing on an "Ecological Bicycle Tour" around Guanyin Lake. This event links the Guanyin Lake and Guanyin Mountain scenic areas, creating a novel weekend urban travel experience for residents and visitors.

The Guanyin Lake area, situated adjacent to Guanyin Mountain, boasts a rich natural environment surrounded by lush forests, with the lake serving as a habitat for various water birds. The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau has invested approximately NT$90 million in developing the area's infrastructure. These improvements include the construction of a lakeside walking trail, a water garden wetland, a frog chorus plaza, public restrooms, and parking facilities.

These enhancements aim to foster a friendly ecological habitat and support firefly conservation efforts. The project has garnered recognition, receiving the National Excellent Construction Award for Quality and the Architecture and Garden Award, along with a Special Award for Zero Carbon Sustainability. The high-grass areas by the lake are particularly noted as a crucial habitat for the "Taiwanese glow-worm" (Photinus taiwana).

The first "Ride with the Wind" event saw over a hundred participants led by professional cyclists from the Kaohsiung International Cycling Tourism Promotion Association. They explored the scenic mountain and lake landscapes of Renwu and Dashi districts. Local guides provided ecological explanations of Guanyin Lake, incorporating fun riddle-solving tasks to engage participants in observing the area's plant life, habitats, and lake features. Following the cycling tour, participants visited the over 300-year-old Cui Ping Yan Da Jue Temple near Guanyin Mountain and explored the bustling weekend market, concluding the day with a feast of roasted sweet potatoes and chicken by the lake.

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Guanyin Lake is adjacent to Guanyin Mountain and possesses a unique natural environment, surrounded by green mountains and forests, with water birds inhabiting the lake; it is a rare ecological secret near the city.