Fengshan Old Town Introduction
The old city of Fengshan County, established during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, is located in the present-day Zuoying District. It was the first county seat of Fengshan County after the Qing government ruled Taiwan and the first earthen city wall in Taiwan. During the Qianlong period, the Lin Shuangwen Incident caused the old city to fall, and the political and economic power shifted to Xiapitou Street (now Fengshan District), which became the new city of Fengshan. However, the new city was often troubled by robberies and was difficult to defend, so during the Daoguang period (1862), efforts were gathered from the government and the people to rebuild Taiwan's first solid stone city on the original site of the old city, which is now the old city of Fengshan County in Zuoying. The old city of Fengshan has experienced the Japanese occupation, the relocation of the Nationalist government to Taiwan, and urban development, with only the East Gate, South Gate, North Gate, and some remnants of the city wall left, which are now recognized as national historic sites. The city wall of the old city of Fengshan is constructed from Lanyu stone from Chai Mountain, filled with clay, and the arches are made of granite from mainland China. The existing North Gate (Arch of Destiny) is located at the intersection of Victory Road, Yimin Alley, and Piazitou Street. The structure of the city gate remains relatively intact, with over a hundred meters of extending city wall on both sides, built in a hexagonal shape. On either side of the gate are intricately carved sculptures of the door gods Shentu and Yulei, which are very unique. The West Gate (Dianhai Gate) is located in the Xinchu area of Zuoying and has only a section of the city wall left, approximately over a hundred meters long. The inscription "West Gate" from the gate's plaque is currently displayed in the former British consulate residence in Takao. The East Gate, also known as Fengyi Gate, is still mostly intact, with over five hundred meters of extending city wall connecting to Yongqing Elementary School on the right and Haiguang New Neighborhood on the left. There are nine crenelles on the wall and a sloped ramp divided into seven levels. The South Gate is located at the intersection of Zuoying Boulevard and Gushan Third Road, with its inscription "Qiwun Gate" in stone lettering still intact. Reflecting on the past, the old city of Zuoying Fengshan has undergone many changes, silently witnessing and narrating the history of the ancestors' pioneering efforts in Taiwan for over three hundred years amidst the bustling prosperity of the new Zuoying business district.
