- As soon as we have secured our rental car, we are on the way to the Lotus Pond. We have read that there is a Dragon and Tiger tower, and that walking through them would bring us good luck. Moreover, the Year of the Dragon has just started, and since I am a dragon myself, I am looking forward to entering one. However, soon after we cross the street from the parking lot, we see that both towers are closed. For a short while, we are disappointed: this was the only reason to come to Lotus Pond. Then, we see a dragon sculpture in the pond, a little to the north. We walk along the bank of the artificial lake on a bicycle/walking path. The dragon seems always more fantastic the closer we get. We walk to a platform on the lake, and reach the wide open mouth of the enormous colourful sculpted legendary creature.
- It is over-the-top, it is kitch, it is bizarre, but of course we walk through this richly decorated mythical creature that is associated with good fortune in this part of the world. Inside, we find the walls of the animal full of sculpted representations of Buddhist deities, figures, and verses. We go up and down, following the curves of the body, until we finally exit through the tail. We would love to see it again, but it is a one-way walk, so for now we stay a the Spring and Autumn pavilions, which are built on the artificial lake. They are both four-story buildings in traditional Chinese style with eaves. We stand at the beginning of the long and straight bridge, and walk it all the way to the Five Mile pavilion which finds itself in the middle of the lake. A circular staircase brings us to the top floor, from where we enjoy the views over the Lotus Pond.
- From here, we also see the Yuandi Temple which is also built inside the lake. When we turn towards the Spring and Autumn pavilion, we see the Chi Ming Tang temple rise high above the pavilions and the dragon. On our walk back to the pavilions, we see a lot of birds. I walk inside the dragon once again, now taking more time to enjoy the experience and the colourful decorations on the walls. When I am out again, I see birds sitting on the back of the dragon, and I now also see that they have left their white marks on the body. On top of the mythical creature, I see a white statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. According to legend, she appeared on a cloud riding a dragon, in front of the two pavilions. She asked her devotees to build a statue in her memory - which is exactly what they did. And so, while it appears kitch, there is a spiritual (Taoist) dimension to the pavlions and its extravagant dragon.
