Chengguangao Cultural Landscape (Guangheng Fa Ruins) Introduction
On the Eastern Coast Highway (Provincial Highway 11) in Chenggong Township, Taitung County, there is a cultural heritage site known as "Chengguangao Cultural Landscape" Park, which was originally the site of the "Guanghengfa Commercial Firm," the largest commercial firm in eastern Taiwan. The architectural style includes a Baroque-style three-arch gate and a brick-arched "Tingzai Jiao," both built with stone, showcasing the considerable wealth of the Wen family at that time. Chengguangao, also known as Xiaogang, is a natural deep-water harbor that has been used by ships for a long time. Early Han Chinese came here for trade, referring to this harbor as "Aozai" due to its connection with the Han community from the Hong Kong and Macau regions. Additionally, its shape resembles the pincers of a crab, encircling the bay, hence it is also called "Xun Guangao," with Sanxiantai visible in the distance. Chengguangao was an important stronghold for early Han people on the east coast. Wen Tai-kun, a Hakka from Neipu, Pingtung, established the "Guanghengfa Commercial Firm" in Chengguangao, becoming the largest grocery store on the Huadong coastline at that time, selling rice, salt, and other daily commodities, and utilizing the harbor to transport goods directly from the western region to the mountains. The Eastern Coast Highway expansion project has damaged the northern side of the gate, leaving only the façade of the Baroque-style commercial building and the Tingzai Jiao recognizable, while about one-third of the remaining walls have become hidden among overgrown vegetation. Today, the establishment of the "Chengguangao Cultural Landscape" serves as a testimony to the history of Han people's development and cultivation along the eastern coast.
