Fengshan Old City Introduction
The Old City of Fengshan County, established during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, is located in the current Zuoying District. It was the first county seat in Fengshan County after the Qing government ruled Taiwan and is also Taiwan's first earthen city wall. During the Lin Shuangwen incident in the Qianlong period, the old city fell, and political and economic power shifted to Xiapitou Street (now Fengshan District), which became the new city of Fengshan. However, due to frequent disturbances by bandits, the new city was difficult to defend. In the Daoguang period (1862), authorities and residents gathered forces to rebuild Taiwan’s first solid stone fortress on the site of the old city, which is now the Old City of Fengshan County in Zuoying. The Old City of Fengshan has undergone various changes during the Japanese rule, the relocation of the Nationalist government to Taiwan, and urban development. Today, only the East Gate, South Gate, North Gate, and some remnants of the city wall remain, and it has been designated as a national historic site. The walls of the Old City of Fengshan are built from Laogushih from Chai Mountain, filled with rammed earth, while the arches are made from granite imported from the mainland. The existing North Gate (Gongchen Gate) is located at the intersection of Shengli Road, Yimin Alley, and Pizaitou Street. Its structure is still relatively intact, with over a hundred meters of extending wall on both sides, formed in a hexagonal shape, and there are carvings of the guardian deities Shentu and Yulei painted on both sides of the gate, showcasing exquisite workmanship—a very unique feature. The West Gate (Dianhai Gate) is located in the Xinzili area of Zuoying, with only a section of the city wall remaining, approximately a hundred meters long, and the inscription "West Gate" is displayed at the British consul’s residence in Takao. The East Gate, also known as Fengyi Gate, remains intact, with over five hundred meters of city wall extending, connecting on the right to Yongqing Elementary School and on the left to Haiguang New Village. There are a total of nine crenellations on the wall, along with a sloped ramp divided into seven levels. The South Gate is located at the intersection of Zuoying Boulevard and Gushan Third Road, with its gate inscription "Qiwun Gate" still intact. Reflecting on the past, the Old City of Fengshan has witnessed numerous changes. Amid the prosperous scene of the new Zuoying business district, the archaic and venerable silhouette of the old city silently awaits, telling the history of the pioneers who established Taiwan over the past three hundred years.
