New Taipei City Shizhuang Dongzhamen Introduction
The East Stockade Gate of Xinbei Shizhuang is located in Fengtian Village, Neipu Township, also known as Huai Zhong Gate, and is currently classified as a national third-class historic site. During the Qing Dynasty, particularly in the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods, many Hakka immigrants from Guangdong came to the Pingtung area to cultivate the land. As outsiders, they often clashed with the Minnan people and indigenous groups. To avoid disturbances and to establish boundaries with other villages, four stockade gates—east, west, south, and north—were built around Xinbei Shizhuang for defense purposes. However, after hundreds of years of changes, only the East Stockade Gate remains today. Its existence has become a tribute and remembrance of the ancestors for the residents of Xinbei Shizhuang. The East Stockade Gate is primarily constructed of stone and earth, standing approximately 7 meters high, about 6.5 meters wide, and around 1.2 meters thick, covering an area of more than 6 ping. Brick walls are built on both sides of the gate for structural support. The inner side of the gate features mortise holes for doors, with a ridge designed in a horizontal saddle shape and adorned with red tiles. A granite memorial stone commemorating the restoration of the stockade gate during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty is preserved on the side wall of a residential house in front of the East Stockade Gate, although the engraving has faded over time, it remains a valuable relic. A plaque inscribed with "Huai Zhong" is hung in the center of the gate's lintel, with symmetrical circular cannons placed on either side. The origin of the plaque has historical significance; in the 60th year of the Kangxi reign, the "Zhu Yigui Incident" occurred, which disturbed the lives of the people. In response, residents of Xinbei Shizhuang organized volunteer soldiers to defend their hometown. After the events concluded, the Qing Dynasty awarded honors and conferred the title "Huai Zhong" to the Hakka people, thus the East Stockade Gate is also referred to as "Huai Zhong Gate."
