Chengguangao Cultural Landscape (Guanghengfa Ruins) Introduction
On Taiwan’s East Coast Highway (Tai 11) in Chenggong Township, Taitung County, there is a cultural heritage site known as the "Chengguangao Cultural Landscape" Park. This site was originally the location of the "Guanghengfa Firm," which was once the largest merchant house in eastern Taiwan. The architectural style features a Baroque-style three-arch gate and a brick archway used as a "pavilion," all built with stone, reflecting the considerable wealth owned by the Wen family at that time. Chengguangao, also known as Xiaogang, is a natural deep-water harbor which has historically served as a stopping point for military vessels. Early Han Chinese merchants began trading here, and due to the presence of people from the Hong Kong and Macau regions who referred to this harbor as "Aozai," along with its shape resembling the claws of a crab surrounding the bay, it was also named "Xun Guangao." From afar, the Sanxiantai can be seen. Chengguangao was an important early settlement for Han Chinese on the eastern coast. Wen Taikuan, a Hakka from Neipu, Pingtung, came to Chengguangao and established the "Guanghengfa Firm," which became the largest grocery store along the East Coast at that time, selling daily necessities such as rice and salt, and utilizing the harbor's convenience to transport goods directly from the west to the mountains. With road expansion works on the East Coast Highway, the northern gate was damaged, leaving only the Baroque architectural facade of the merchant house and the pavilion clearly identifiable. About one-third of the remaining walls are now hidden amidst wild vegetation. Today, the establishment of the "Chengguangao Cultural Landscape" stands as a testament to the history of Han Chinese cultivation and development on the east coast.
