Fengshan Old City Introduction
The Old City of Fengshan County, established during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, is located in today's Zuoying District. It was the first county seat of Fengshan County after the Qing government took control of Taiwan and was also the first earthen city wall in Taiwan. During the Qianlong period, the Old City fell in the Lin Shuangwen Incident, and political and economic power shifted to Xiapitou Street (now Fengshan District), leading to the establishment of the New City of Fengshan. However, due to frequent bandit attacks, the New City was difficult to defend. In the Daoguang period (1862), a combined force of officials and civilians was mobilized to rebuild the first sturdy stone fort in Taiwan on the original site of the Old City, which is now the Old City of Fengshan County in Zuoying. The Old City has endured Japanese rule, the relocation of the National Government to Taiwan, and urban development, leaving only the East Gate, South Gate, North Gate, and parts of the city wall, which have been designated as national monuments. The walls of the Old City were constructed using rocks from Chai Mountain, filled with rammed earth, and the arches were made from granite imported from the mainland. The existing North Gate (Qiongchen Gate) is located at the intersection of Shengli Road, Yimin Lane, and Pizaitou Street, and its structure remains relatively intact. The extending walls on both sides still measure over a hundred meters, built in a hexagonal shape, with colorful reliefs of guardians, Shentu and Yulei, on both sides of the gate, finely carved and unique. The West Gate (Dianhai Gate) is located within the Self-Service New District of Zuoying, with only a section of the city wall remaining, approximately over a hundred meters in length; the gate plaque "West Gate" is currently displayed in the residence of the British consulate in Takao. The East Gate, also known as Fengyi Gate, is still complete, and its city wall extends over five hundred meters, connecting to Yongqing Elementary School on the right and Haiguang New District on the left, with a total of nine crenellations and a sloped ramp divided into seven levels. The South Gate, located at the intersection of Zuoying Boulevard and Gushan Third Road, has an inscription on its gate plaque reading "Qiwun Gate," and the stone lettering remains as pristine as ever. Reflecting on the past, the Old City of Fengshan in Zuoying has witnessed many changes. In the thriving commercial landscape of the new Zuoying business district, the ancient and simple silhouette of the Old City silently awaits, telling the story of the pioneers who shaped Taiwan's history over the past three hundred years.
