Yushan National Park & Western Taiwan - Taiwan - page 423

Sights
2 Breast Touching Lane \(Mo-Lu Lane\) B4
3 Din Family Old House C3
4 Folk Arts Museum C3
5 Matsu Temple B1
6 Nine Turns Lane (Chinseng Lane) C3
7 Old Market Street B1
Sleeping
8 Matsu Temple Believer's Hotel B1
9 Tai 17 Backpacker C3
Eating
10 Yu Chen Chai C3
Shopping
11 Mr Chen's Fan Shop B1
12 Wan Neng Tinware C4
13 Wu Tun-Hou Lantern Shop B1
History
Lukang translates as 'deer harbour': large herds of deer once gathered here in the lush
meadows adjacent to one of the best natural harbours on the west coast. In the 17th cen-
tury the Dutch came to hunt and trade venison and pelts (which they sold to the Japanese
to make samurai armour). In the 18th century, trade grew and diversified to include rice,
cloth, sugar, timber and pottery, and Lukang became one of the most thriving commercial
cities and ports in Taiwan. Over the years settlers from different provinces and ethnic
groups in China made their home here and left a legacy of temples and buildings in vary-
ing regional styles.
In the 19th century silt deposits began to block the harbour, and the city began to de-
cline. To make matters worse, conservative elements in Lukang refused in the early 20th
century to allow trains and modern highways to be built near their city. Lukang became a