From major city to small, sleepy tourist town, Lugang is situated in Changhua county, Central Taiwan, a major rice growing area. Lugang literally means “Deer Harbor”, and Lugang was once blessed with a natural, deep water harbor. Historical records show that central Taiwan was once heavily populated with deer, and the port of Lugang was used by the Dutch colonizers in their trade in deer pelts and venison. During its heyday from 1785-1845, Lugang had a population of 200 000, making it the largest city in central Taiwan, and second largest after Tainan, in Taiwan.
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Originally, the main inhabitants of Lugang were Pingpu Aborigines of the Babuza tribe. Later, Lugang also became home to Chinese and Hakka immigrants from Fujian’s Xinghua, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Canton (Guangzhou). The decline of Lugang began with the silting up of the harbor and the Fulu River at the turn of the 19th century, making the harbor unsuitable for large ships. Eventually, ships of all kinds stopped calling there and present day Lugang sits some 2km inland.

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Senior Hall, (above) built in 1769 was once waterfront property. Today it sits 2km from the coast. It has been used over the years as a temple, business association and meeting hall. It is now a gathering place for senior citzens, although it is currently undergoing some restoration work. Lugang is the location for some of Taiwan’s most important temples. The Longshan Temple (龍山寺) is believed to be the first Buddhist temple built in Taiwan, and worships Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. Originally constructed in 1653, it was moved to its present location in 1786.

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For the past few years, extensive restoration work has been ongoing at the Longshan Temple. It appears to be nearing completion, with only the front hall still being worked on. In the image below, you can see the temporary sheet metal walls protecting the uncompleted work behind the front gate.

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On the outskirts of town lies the Wenwu Temple. A complex of three buildings dating from the early 1800s, the temple includes the Wenkai Academy(1824), the Wenchang Shrine (1811) and the Martial Temple (1811). The Wenchang Shrine is dedicated to Chang Di Jiun, the God of Literature. Students often pray to this God before exams, and often return to show their appreciation after receiving a high test score.

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The Martial Temple is dedicated to Guan Gong, the God of War. Guan Gong is a symbol of righteousness, loyalty and bravery, as well as being the God of Commerce, worshiped by businessmen for his financial abilities. This temple is a popular spot for filming TV shows and movies.

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The Wenkai Academy was a pioneer in developing the school system in the area. The county chief, Deng Chuan An commissioned it’s construction and with the support of the local trade unions in the early 19th century, purchased 300 000 books and hired scholars to teach the local students.

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Tucked away in a small side street behind the Wenwu Temple is Yangciao Park. During the Qing dynasty, a local government official, Yang Gui-shen, commissioned a bridge to be built over the Fulu River. After completion, this bridge became the main passage connecting Lugang with southern Taiwan. In 1939, a flood destroyed the original bridge and a miniature replica was constructed by the government in 2001 and renamed Yangciao Park.

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That concludes part 1. In the coming days we’ll take a stroll through Lugang’s crumblingback alleys, its industrial and agricultural outskirts and more of the restored tourist sights. EDIT : part 2 is now up.