This gigantic statue at Lotus Pond is of a powerful Taoist deity whose name means God Almighty of the Mysterious Heavens. He is also known as Xuan Wu (玄武; Mysterious Warrior) and in Hong Kong as Emperor of the North (北帝; Pak Tai), and is usually presented barefoot with one foot on a serpent and the other on a tortoise – two monsters wreaking havoc on Earth that the deity, originally a prince, is believed to have subdued.
Xuantian Shang-di
Kaohsiung
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