Hengchun Old Town Gate Introduction
Hengchun Old Town was built in the first year of the Guangxu period in the Qing Dynasty and completed in the fifth year. It is located in the center of the Hengchun Plain, surrounded by mountains such as San Tai Mountain, Tiger Head Mountain, Long Luan Mountain, and Western Screen Mountain. The renowned geomancer Liu Yao was hired to select the site, using Monkey Cave Mountain as the dragon vein and establishing four city gates in the east, west, south, and north, each equipped with a gun platform. The city walls are surrounded by a moat, making it one of the few well-preserved ancient city gate sites in Taiwan. With over a hundred years of history, Hengchun Old Town is an important national heritage site in Taiwan. What are the remarkable features of its city gate structure? Various counties and cities preserve many ancient city ruins, with the basic structure including walls, gates, gun platforms, gate towers, moats, access paths, and horse paths. Taking the east gate of Hengchun Old Town as an example: City Wall: The materials used are "glutinous rice paste, sugar syrup, and lime powder," built using the "rammed earth construction method," which is the oldest building technique. Today, the horizontal lines visible on the surface of the walls are traces left from the ramming process. City Gate: Hengchun has four city gates, which are further divided into city platforms. The upper part is called the "city tower," while the lower part is the "gate opening." The upper half of the city platform is made of bricks, while the lower half is constructed with gravel and mortar, with a granite base. Gate Plaque: The sizes of the gate plaques at the four city gates vary and are made of basalt, each adorned with decorative frames. Gun Platform: This protruding part of the city wall allows for large cannons to be placed on top. Each gun platform has four cannons, two facing forward, while the other two are tilted forward at a 45-degree angle, built from granite to withstand the recoil of cannon fire. Moat: This serves as a protective moat, primarily enhancing defense. Additionally, the soil excavated from the moat was used for building the city. Currently, the moat has mostly been filled or turned into drainage ditches. Battlements: Also known as "parapets," these protruding parts of the city wall add visual appeal while providing defensive functions, with a small hole in the center for soldiers to use as shooting cover, enhancing offensive and defensive advantages. Access Path: Also known as "footpath," this is a convenient path for entering the city. Horse Path: This road on top of the city wall is used for guards to patrol. Parapet: Located on the outer city wall, it functions similarly to a railing.
South Gate of Hengchun Old Town
East Gate of Hengchun Ancient City
