Bajiao River Crossing Introduction
Construction of the attraction: Established during the Kangxi era, or even earlier, Ba Jiang Creek is one of the main rivers in the Chienan Plain. Taiwan's rivers are short and swift, and travelers often need to use boats for transportation. Ba Jiang Creek serves as an important waterway, with many ferry crossings, among which the busiest and most significant is located beside Mituo Temple. It is said that in the 54th year of the Kangxi reign, the local magistrate of Zhuluo, Zhou Zhongxuan, called for donations to organize rafts for transporting people. Ba Jiang Creek (formerly known as Ba Jiang Creek) is one of the main rivers in the Chienan Plain. In the early days, it was impossible to build long bridges, so a ferry crossing was established beside Mituo Temple for raft transportation. The "Ba Jiang Creek Charity Ferry Monument," dated 1847, is still preserved today. This kind of charity ferry monument, which matches the environment, is extremely rare in Taiwan. Ba Jiang Creek flows south of Puzi Creek and north of Jishui Creek, passing through Fanlu Township, Zhongpu Township, Shuishang Township, Taibao City, Lucao Township, Yizhu Township, Budai Township, Chiayi City, and the Beimen District, Yanshui District, Xuejia District, Houbil District, and Baihe District of Tainan City, finally reaching the sea at Haomei Village in Chiayi County, flowing into the Taiwan Strait. During flood periods, the flow of Ba Jiang Creek can reach about 1,800 cubic meters per second, but in dry seasons, it may drop to only 0.4 cubic meters per second, marking significant variations in water volume. During the summer and autumn flooding periods, the creek swells, hindering transportation for residents living on both sides of Ba Jiang Creek. They must rely on bamboo rafts to cross the stream in order to travel between the banks. At that time, residents established five ferry crossings along the riverbank for bamboo rafts to dock and allow people to embark and disembark. The establishment of charity ferry crossings held great significance for the selection of early transportation routes in Taiwan and urban development. The charity ferry service has greatly contributed to trade transportation for merchants traveling to and from Chiayi City and boosted the economic prosperity of the Chiayi area, with the remaining ferry monument serving as a testament to history.
