踏溯台南

踏溯台南

文學院 通識教育課程

Old Tai Jang Inner Sea: Its Previous and Current Existence

Route Introduction

 

16 Villages of Taijiang

Fostering education in the big temples

 

  The Annan District of Tainan City was called Taijiang in ancient times. In 1823, Zengwun Creek rerouted, and the inner sea became arable land. People from the north bank of the river, such as Jiangjun, Beimen and Xuejia, gradually moved to this area. They built their villages and set up schools.

  This was how the area received the name: 16 villages of Taijiang. Among them, twelve were built in Tongzhi Era of Qing Dynasty; the 16 villages were formed in the late 19th century. Haiwei, Sicao and Anping were located in the three corners of a triangle area, which was the Taijiang Port in the Dutch colonial era, also known as the Inner Harbor of Luermen.

  This inland sea lagoon, along with the alluvium of Zengwun Creek, Luermen Creek and Yanshuei River, had gradually deposited into today's Sicao wetlands. This area was also the important naval battle fields in Taiwan history between General Zheng Cheng- Gong and the Dutch, Lan Ting-Zhen and Zhu Yi-Gui, Wang De-Lu and Cai Qien.

  "Haiwei Dadaogong Temple", today's Chao-Huang Temple, worshipping Baosheng Emperor, was used as the local school. It was a center of faith and culture, carried with it three communal functions - "social participation", "community learning" and “cultural beliefs".

  The early immigrants to Taijiang built the settlements with coral stones, and formed "gongzi" (public school) and "private study" together with the religious center. They hired scholars to teach children and marked the first page of the history of education in Haiwei two hundred years ago.

   The tradition of combining the function of religion and education in one location went through Qing Dynasty, Japanese occupation era and the early days of the Republic of China. Thanks to this tradition, many from these fishing villages received their education and became knowledgeable about the world.
 
 
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