Lukang Town

　　Legend has it that Lukang is the dragon’s head of Changhua County’s dragon vein. Coincidentally, historians refer to the period from the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty (when Taiwan was established as a prefecture) to the 20th year of the Daoguang reign (when five ports were opened for trade), spanning over 150 years, as the “Lukang Period” of Taiwanese culture. Putting these two points together, Lukang truly seems to be a land of dragons. This dragon-shaped land flourished after the Qing court opened trade between Fujian’s Hanjiang and Lukang in the 49th year of the Qianlong reign. Zhuang Yanyu, a specialist in Lukang folklore, notes that the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras marked the golden age of Lukang. The dense concentration of temples and historic sites today is ample evidence of the town’s former economic and social prosperity, as well as its rich cultural legacy. In terms of its port and street layout, Lukang retains the charm of Quanzhou on the mainland China, earning it the reputation of being “as bustling as a miniature Quanzhou.”