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The Banping Lake Wetland Park (Chinese: 半屏湖濕地公園; pinyin: Bànpínghú Shīdì Gōngyuán) is a wetland in Zuoying District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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History
The area around the park used to be a geological limestone mountain called Mount Banping. It used to be an important source of Taiwan's limestone ore needs. In 1997, the mining activities ceased to operate and the mining area began to recover to its original condition. Several years later, the government carried out a conservation plan to protect the soil and water for the abandoned mine area. After years of restorative afforestation and rehabilitation, the mountain slowly regained its original beauty.
In 2004, the Kaohsiung Association of Hydraulic Engineers was commissioned by Kaohsiung City Government to execute an evaluation of the possibility of using the Chien Tai Cement Company's grit chamber area at the southern side of Banping Mountain for a wetland park. The result of the evaluation was positive and that in 2005 the City Government budgeted for and built up a nature park at the foot of the northwestern side of the mountain. They also afforested and constructed five flood-detention grit chambers at the southern side of the mountain foot. Man-made wetlands were also created to effectively function as grit-removal and flood-detention bodies.
Transportation
The wetland is accessible within walking distance north of Xinzuoying Station.