{"id":8023,"date":"2025-11-05T17:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T09:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yuartheworld.com\/?p=8023"},"modified":"2025-09-21T21:57:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T13:57:52","slug":"jiadong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yuartheworld.com\/en\/jiadong\/","title":{"rendered":"Pingtung \u25e6 Jiadong | A Living Testament to a Glorious Past | TAIWAN 368-55"},"content":{"rendered":"

After getting off at Jiadong Railway Station, our first stop was the famous Ah-Zhi Ban-Tiao (rice noodles). With our appetites satisfied, we continued forward, ready to explore this \u201cliving museum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the Liudui Hakka settlements in Pingtung, Jiadong once thrived economically and demographically thanks to its advantageous harbor location. Early Hakka settlers, who prospered through trade, gradually built grand residences and ancestral halls on this land. As a result, Jiadong now preserves the largest number of old houses and historic sites in Taiwan, many of them in remarkably good condition. What\u2019s more, they are clustered within walking distance\u2014less than a kilometer apart\u2014making it easy to explore these cultural treasures on foot. Highlights include the Yang Ancestral Hall, the Xiao Family Residence, the Zhang Family Trading House, the West Gate, and the Respect-for-Characters Pavilion. Each site feels like a vivid textbook of history. In the cool autumn breeze, it\u2019s the perfect place to take a leisurely family stroll.<\/p>\n

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\u25e6 Pingtung Travel Guide<\/span><\/h6>\n

01\uff5cTransportation in Pingtung<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude84 Taiwan High Speed Rail<\/a>
\n\ud83d\ude97 Car Rentals - Save Up to 10%<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udea2 Xiaoliuqiu - Donggang Ferry Ticket<\/a><\/p>\n

02\uff5cPopular Attractions in Pingtung<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfab National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium Ticket<\/a>
\n\ud83c\udfab Sleepover Experience at National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium<\/a>
\n\ud83c\udfab Paradise of Deer Ticket in Kenting<\/a>
\n\ud83c\udfab Tickets for Kenting Luyu Island Capybara Ecological Park<\/a>
\n\ud83c\udfab Shuangliu National Forest Recreation Area Tickets<\/a><\/p>\n

03\uff5cThings To Do in Pingtung<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea3\ud83c\udffb Stand Up Paddleboarding Experience in Kenting<\/a>
\n\ud83e\udd3f Water Activities at Kenting South Bay<\/a>
\n\ud83e\udd3f Liuqiu Snorkeling Tour by Bear Diving in Pingtung<\/a>
\n\ud83c\udfd4\ufe0f Alangyi Hostoric Trail Hiking Day Tour<\/a><\/p>\n

\u25e6 The Past of Jiadong<\/span><\/h6>\n

Jiadong was once the homeland of the Makatao people of the Pingpu indigenous group, specifically the Kateng community. In the early days of settlement, the area was covered with Formosan ebony trees (called Jiadong in Taiwanese), which gave rise to its former name, \u201cJiadong -jiao.\u201d During the Japanese colonial period, it was renamed to the present-day \u201cJiadong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Located in the \u201cLeft Liudui\u201d area of the Pingtung Hakka settlements, Jiadong is predominantly home to Hakka people, followed by Hoklo (Minnan) residents. Its greatest charm lies in the unparalleled preservation of traditional houses and heritage sites\u2014truly earning its reputation as a \u201cliving museum.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25e6 Attractions in Jiadong<\/span><\/h6>\n
01\uff5cPoet\u2019s Trail<\/h6>\n

Born in Jiadong, the \u201cpoet-doctor\u201d Tseng Gui-hai once lived in a house along the town\u2019s old street. Inspired by his legacy, the Jiadong Cultural and Historical Association invited local residents to lend their walls and windows, transforming them into canvases for poetry.<\/p>\n

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Here, visitors can encounter the works of renowned Liudui poets such as Zhong Li-he, Tseng Gui-hai, and Lin Sheng-xiang. Among them, Chen Ning-gui\u2019s poem Together (Gong-yang)\u2014inscribed on a weathered brick wall\u2014left a particularly lasting impression on me.<\/p>\n

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Poet\u2019s Trail<\/strong>\r\n\r\nNo. 19-30, Donggen Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
02\uff5cOld House of Siiao Family<\/h6>\n
Thanks to its advantageous harbor, Jiadong once experienced a period of economic and demographic prosperity. Wealthy pioneers such as the Siiao, Lai, Zhang, and Yang families amassed their fortunes through trade and gradually built grand residences and ancestral halls throughout the town. Among them, the Siiao family was one of the most prominent lineages. With a flourishing clan and many accomplished descendants, their residence was hailed as a \u201cprime dragon\u2019s den\u201d in feng shui terms. To this day, their traditional compound, the Bu-yue (Moon-Stepping) Tower, the Western-style mansion, and even their rice mill have been preserved.<\/p>\n
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The scale of the Siiao ancestral home is truly impressive: over fifty rooms capable of housing nearly a hundred residents, making it the only five-courtyard Hakka compound of its kind in Taiwan. Walking inside, you may notice laundry hanging out to dry\u2014a quiet reminder that this is not a lifeless relic frozen in time, but a living home. For me, this everyday vitality is the most beautiful form of heritage preservation.<\/p>\n
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Old House of Siiao Family<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOpening Hours: 0900-1200, 1400-1700, closed on Monday.\nNo. 150, Gouzhu Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
03\uff5cThe Respect Words Pavilion<\/h6>\n
Not far from the Old House of Siiao Family stands the Respect Words Pavilion, also known as the Sacred Traces Pavilion. Built in 1850, it has a history of more than 170 years and remains remarkably well preserved. In the agrarian past, the Hakka people held written words in deep reverence. Any paper bearing characters could not simply be discarded; instead, it had to be sent to the pavilion and burned as an act of respect.<\/p>\n
Shaped like a pagoda, the pavilion has two distinct levels: the first was used for burning written paper, while the second enshrines revered figures\u2014Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters; Wenchang Dijun, the god of culture and literature; and Wenkui Dijun, the patron of scholarly success. Together, they reflect the community\u2019s profound respect for knowledge and the written word.<\/p>\n
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The Respect Words Pavilion<\/strong>\r\n\r\nDiagonally across from the Old House of Siiao Family<\/pre>\n
04\uff5cBu Yue Building<\/h6>\n
The Bu Yue Building once served as the Siiao family\u2019s study and library. On the ridgeline of its gatehouse, delicate carvings of egrets and lotuses symbolize aspirations of success in the imperial examinations, while motifs of qilin and magpies add blessings of peace and good fortune.<\/p>\n
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The outer walls, joined with dense plantings of thorny bamboo, formed a private gate akin to a fortress\u2014an unmistakable sign of the Siiao family\u2019s influence and power in their heyday. Today, within the Old House of Siiao Family, historical records of the \u201cBattle of Bu-yue Building,\u201d fought in resistance against Japanese forces, are still preserved.<\/p>\n
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Bu Yue Building<\/strong>\r\n\r\nNo. 91, Qinan Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
05\uff5cZhang Family Trading House<\/h6>\n
Built in the 1910s, the Zhang Family Trading House was the only two-story red-brick building in Jiadong at the time. It also served as a general store where locals purchased daily necessities. By the 1950s, as television began entering people\u2019s lives, the shopfront became a lively gathering spot each evening. Villagers crowded together to watch Taiwanese opera and baseball broadcasts, their cheers echoing through the narrow lanes.<\/p>\n
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Over the decades, the brick structure gradually deteriorated. It wasn\u2019t until 2011, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Tseng Gui-hai\u2014who rallied support from the Jiadong Cultural and Historical Association and many others\u2014that the Trading House was revived. Today, its second floor hosts exhibitions of poetry and artworks related to Jiadong, allowing the historic residence to continue telling the stories of this small town.<\/p>\n
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Zhang Family Trading House<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOpening Hours: 0900-1125, 1400-1700, closed on Monday to Friday.\nNo. 1, Xibian Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
06\uff5cYang Family Ancestral Hall<\/h6>\n
One of the main reasons I was drawn to Jiadong was to see something I had never encountered elsewhere\u2014the Taiji Liangyi Pond! Completed in 1923 as part of the Yang Family Ancestral Hall, this unique pond integrates feng shui principles into its design, symbolizing prosperity through water and the endless cycle of life. Up close, the pond is carpeted with lotus leaves, with small fish and tadpoles darting about. If you visit in June or July, you\u2019ll be treated to an even more spectacular view when the lotus flowers are in full bloom.<\/p>\n
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The ancestral hall itself is equally captivating, featuring beautifully preserved traditional craftsmanship such as swallowtail roof ridges, glazed tiles, and intricate Koji pottery. It was so enchanting that I found it hard to leave.<\/p>\n
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Yang Family Ancestral Hall<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOpening Hours: 0800-1800\nNo. 138, Jiaxing Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
07\uff5cJiadong Shinto Shrine<\/h6>\n
Located in a more remote part of town, the Jiadong Shinto Shrine was built during the Japanese colonial period as part of the \u201cone shrine per village\u201d policy. It was consecrated in 1936 (Showa 11) and classified as a mukakusha\u2014a shrine not officially ranked within the Shinto hierarchy.<\/p>\n
After World War II, most shrines in Taiwan were either destroyed or repurposed. Today, the shrine\u2019s approach has become an ordinary roadway, and residential houses have been built nearby. Still, remnants such as the torii gate, sacred bridge, and stone lanterns remain as silent traces of its past.<\/p>\n
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Jiadong Shinto Shrine<\/strong>\r\n\r\nNo. 1, Daping Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
\u25e6 Restaurants and Snacks in Jiajung<\/span><\/h6>\n
01\uff5cAh-Zhi Rice Noodles<\/h6>\n
With over 70 years of history and three generations of family tradition, Ah-Zhi Rice Noodles insists on using aged rice to enhance the chewy texture of its handmade noodles. Thanks to its coastal location, the shop not only preserves the Hakka specialty of crispy fried shallots but also offers a unique tuna meat sauce in place of the traditional pork, giving the broth a subtle seafood sweetness and depth of flavor.<\/p>\n
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On the table, a bottle of White Rabbit brand black vinegar adds the finishing touch. This time-honored vinegar from Tainan is mellow and smooth, with a bright, slightly tangy flavor and a hint of saltiness\u2014making it the seasoning of choice for many connoisseurs.<\/p>\n
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Ah-Zhi Rice Noodles<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOpening Hours: 0800-1400, closed on Monday.\nNo. 97-6, Jiahe Rd., Jiadong Township, Pingtung<\/pre>\n
\u25e6 Flying Over Taiwan<\/span><\/h6>\n