Niuma Head Ruins Cultural Park Introduction
The "Niumatou Ruins" is located in the Aofeng Mountain area of Qingshui District, Taichung City (formerly known as Niumatou), within the designated park area of Taichung Harbor where the former Qingshui Army Camp is situated. The "Niumatou Ruins" represents the mid-Neolithic culture of central Taiwan and is named after this location, making it the first “named site” in the country. The excavated pottery primarily consists of red and brown cord-marked ceramics. The cultural park at the Niumatou Ruins, located on Aofeng Mountain, is named after this site, which is the earliest representative of the mid-Neolithic culture discovered in Taichung. The area conceals significant cultural layers underground and has undergone various historical transitions. "Niumatou" is the old name of Qingshui District in Taichung, derived from the phonetic transcription of the Papora people’s settlement, Gomach. The park is designed to preserve cultural heritage and serve educational purposes, showcasing information about the cultural site, the collection of artifacts, and archaeological excavation methods to help visitors understand the past lifestyles and pioneering processes of humans in central Taiwan. It also includes remnants from the Shinto shrine of the Japanese colonial period and structures from the former military camp, making it a space rich in historical and cultural significance. Over 4,000 years ago, the location of the "Niumatou Ruins" preserved remnants of the "Niumatou culture," "Yingpu culture," and "Fanziyuan culture," and had interactions with the "Niu Chouzi culture" in the south, influencing each other's development. The Papora people originally lived by fishing, hunting, and agriculture until the mid-17th century, when they were successively governed by the Dutch and faced significant Han Chinese immigration during the Ming and Qing dynasties, altering their lifestyle and traditional culture. In 1895, during the Japanese colonial period, a playground was established in this beautiful environment, and later the "Qingshui Shrine" was built, symbolizing the integration of government and religion in Japanese culture and serving as a tool for controlling the beliefs of the colonized people. After Taiwan’s restoration, this area became the Qingshui Army Camp for artillery units. As the camp was consolidated, the land was returned to the Taichung City Government, and the Niumatou Ruins were designated as a city historical site and revitalized into the Niumatou Ruins Cultural Park following the recommendations of several scholars and experts. At the entrance of the park, one can see a pottery target symbolizing the Niumatou culture, dating back approximately 4,500 to 3,000 years. Inside the park, the military barracks of the original camp have been repurposed as exhibition spaces, with clear visible markings of the camp numbers on the outer walls, reflecting the historical past. However, the Qingshui Shrine from the Japanese colonial era was destroyed and dismantled by the public and the National Army after Taiwan’s restoration, and only a few remnants remain, such as a pair of stone lions beside the command platform, the stone lantern base along the worship pathway, and parts of the railing, which provide a glimpse into the shrine's past grandeur. Additionally, the park features an observation deck offering scenic views of Qingshui District, and visitors can experience the path of worshiping at the shrine through the back approach, making it an excellent place for family outings on weekends.
