Beipu Old Street Introduction
In the 14th year of the Daoguang era (1834), the government funded and authorized the establishment of land reclamation, with Guangdong-born leader Jiang Xiuluan and Fujian-born merchant Zhou Bangzheng forming the “Jin Guang Fu” reclamation group. They fought with the indigenous people for decades, and thus the development of Beipu was a military-driven process, giving the settlement characteristics of military, commercial, and religious enclaves with defensive features. The county-designated historic site Ciatian Temple is located in the center of the Beipu settlement and is the most grand and large-scale temple in the Dazai area, serving as the faith center for residents. The largest traditional building in Beipu, Tianshui Hall, was built in the 12th year of the Daoguang era (1832) and is the largest traditional structure in the Beipu settlement. It features a Hakka-style design of a sanheyuan (three-part courtyard), with impressively large steps, acclaimed as one of the most beautiful gatehouses in Taiwan. This site is privately owned and not open to the public. The Jin Guang Fu official residence, built in the 15th year of the Daoguang era (1835), served as the administrative center for Han Chinese entering the mountainous areas for armed reclamation. The residence of scholar Zeng Xuexi, Zhongshu Hall, was built in 1922 and was the former home of the Qing dynasty scholar. Its horizontal structure, creatively designed with a wall made of roof tiles, and the ancient well known for its pure and abundant water were famous far and wide, with villagers coming within a fifty-meter radius for drinking water. Today, the long-neglected ancient well has been abandoned. Jiang Axin Western-style building, resembling Baroque architecture, uses stone materials sourced from Beitou. The interior decoration is made from precious woods such as old Taiwan cypress wood, cedar, and camphor wood, located near the Jin Guang Fu official residence and Tianshui Hall, representing Beipu's Western-style building. It currently houses the Jin Guang Fu Cultural and Educational Foundation, and visits require prior application.
