The Beigang Zhenxing Cinema, which has a history of over 60 years, was renovated by a bakery business and transformed into a retail space and bakery museum. Inside the museum is preserved a faucet shaped like a dragon head. Cultural historians have determined that the craftsmanship is exquisite and that the faucet dates back to the Japanese colonial period, making it at least 70 years old — a true “water faucet.”
Located on Zhongshan Road in Beigang Township, the Zhenxing Cinema opened in 1954 and ceased operations in 1970. It was later purchased by a bakery business and repurposed as a retail space combined with a bakery museum. During the renovation, an exquisitely crafted faucet in the shape of a dragon head was discovered in a corner. Moved by its craftsmanship, the business owner decided not to dismantle it and instead invited cultural historians to help preserve it.
Cultural historian Cai ChengyP explained that according to local folklore, dragons spitting water symbolize the gathering of wealth. This dragon-shaped faucet was likely specially made by the cinema to wish for prosperous business. The entire faucet was constructed by binding fine gravel and glass pieces together, with intricate details clearly visible. Though slightly damaged, it is still evident that it was crafted by a master artisan.
Cai ChengyP pointed out that the business owner decided to preserve it as a feature of the bakery museum. Alongside screenings of nostalgic films and glove puppetry performances, it showcases a diverse cultural identity. The hope is that wealth will flow in like running water, and business will prosper “like a dragon.”
Senior cultural historian Huang Shuishui noted that the Zhenxing Cinema was relocated to its current location during the second “urban redevelopment” of Zhongshan Road in Showa Year 7 (1932), using heritage construction techniques. The six storefronts were moved as a whole. The faucet is believed to be the skillful work of an artisan from that time, crafted using sculpting methods and exposed aggregate stonework, with glass pieces embedded to resemble the dragon’s eyes and scales, creating a lifelike effect.
The “faucet” is predominantly styled in a gray-white moon tone to highlight the brilliance of the glass pieces, evoking the symbolic imagery of a fish leaping through the dragon gate, aligning with principles of feng shui. Since buildings during the Japanese colonial period were mostly made of wood, the faucet also carries meanings of fire prevention and the wish for peace and prosperity.
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