Nioumatou Ruins Cultural Park Introduction
The "Niu Matou Site" is located in the Qingshui District of Taichung City (formerly known as Niu Matou) on Mount Aofeng, within the specific area of Taichung Harbor and the former Qing Shui military camp. The "Niu Matou Site" is a representative of mid-Neolithic culture in central Taiwan, and this place name is used to name this cultural type, making it the first "named site" in the country. The excavated pottery is primarily red and brown cord-marked pottery. The cultural park at the Niu Matou Site, situated on Mount Aofeng, is named after the site, which represents the earliest discovered mid-Neolithic culture in Taichung. There are significant cultural layers buried underground, and the surface has experienced changes over different periods. "Niu Matou" is the former name of Qingshui District, derived from the transliteration of the Papora people's settlement of Gomach. The park's plan combines the preservation of cultural assets with educational displays. It not only showcases cultural site introductions, collections of unearthed artifacts, and archaeological excavation methods to help everyone understand the past human life and land development of central Taiwan but also contains remnants of shrines from the Japanese colonial period and buildings from the former military camp, making it a space rich in historical and cultural significance. Over four thousand years ago, the area of the Niu Matou Site nurtured and preserved remnants of "Niu Tou Ma Culture," "Ying Pu Culture," and "Fan Zi Garden Culture," and there was interaction with the "Niu Chou Zi Culture" in the south, influencing each other's development. The Papora people originally lived here through fishing, hunting, and swidden agriculture until the mid-seventeenth century, when they began to be governed by the Dutch and faced a massive influx of Han Chinese during the Ming and Qing dynasties, which changed their lifestyles and traditional culture. In 1895, during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese first established a sports field in this beautiful environment, followed by the construction of the "Qingshui Shrine," which represented the integration of politics and religion in Japan and served as a tool to control the beliefs of the colonial populace. After Taiwan's restoration, this place became an army artillery camp. Later, as the camp was downsized, the land was returned to the Taichung City Government. Under the advice of several scholars and experts, the Niu Matou Site was designated as a municipal heritage site and revitalized, planned as the Niu Matou Site Cultural Park. At the entrance of the park, there is a ceramic landmark symbolizing the Niu Matou culture, dated approximately between 4,500 and 3,000 years ago, primarily represented by red and brown cord-marked pottery. Upon entering the park, the original military barracks have been transformed into exhibition spaces, with the camp numbers still visible on the outer walls, witnessing the passage of historical time. However, the Qingshui Shrine from the Japanese colonial period was destroyed and dismantled by the public and the national army after Taiwan's restoration, and now only a few remnants remain, such as a pair of stone lions beside the commanding platform, the base of a lantern along the worship path, and some guardrails, allowing one to recall the grandeur of the shrine in its heyday. Additionally, the park features a scenic platform to enjoy views of Qingshui District, and the adjacent back worship path allows visitors to experience the pilgrimage route to the shrine, making it an ideal place for family outings on weekends. ► For related site usage management regulations, please refer to the official website's attachment download section.
