The Chinese text below was taken from "Pingtung County Hometown DNA" 屏東縣鄉土 DNA. The Chinese was written under the direction of the Pingtung County Government, and the English was written/translated by me. This book was published by Jade Mountain 玉山社 in 2008.
This book was written by and for the use of local teachers. It presents units of study with regard to local history and local products, with a curriculum for grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. I'll be excerpting from the 7-8 grade curriculum for each of these entries.
There are nine units in this book. This entry is the fifth and last I'll be including here.
阿猴古城
The A-Hou Fortified City (1)
一 , 地理環境 One: Local Geography
1. 濕地公園生態探索與保育 Exploration and Ecological Conservation of the Wetland Park
1. 台灣早在1983年已有學者由國外引入 "濕地" 觀念 , 並要求將沿海砂丘 , 濕地 , 紅樹林妥為保護 , 可惜未被政府認真執行過 , 國人也未能了解濕地的意義與重要性 , 以致沿海地區重要濕地幾乎全被開發 , 面臨消失的危運 . 鳥松濕地公園 , 是台灣第一座以濕地為主題的公園 , 原是自來水公司稱澄清湖淨水廠的沉沙地 , 因水源充足 , 營養豐富 , 漸漸形成一處蘊含有豐富生態的人工濕地 , 在許多熱心人士的長期努力下 , 現今分成濕地觀察池 , 生態教育觀察池 , 小型沉沙地 , 植栽保留區及木棧道 , 處處可見青萍 , 滿江紅 , 浮萍 , 仰游蟲 , 大肚魚 , 蝌蚪等水生動植物 . 園內有三十二種鳥類 , 一百二十一種植物 , 七十種以上的昆蟲 , 種類豐富 . As early as 1983 Taiwanese scholars introduced the concept of "wetlands" from abroad. They requested that coastal sand dunes, wetlands and mangrove forests be protected. Unfortunately the government didn't take them seriously, and the people of Taiwan also failed to understand the importance of wetlands. For this reason wetlands in coastal areas were all made subject to development, and are now in danger of disappearing altogether.
Niaosong Wetland Park is the first wetland-themed park in Taiwan. It was originally a sedimentation pool called "Chengching Lake." This sedimentation pool was created by the water utility as part of the water purification plant there. A man-made wetland formed in the area after nutrient-rich water was allowed to flow through it, with a diverse ecology resulting [from the sedimentation process]. Thanks to the long term efforts of many enthusiasts it has since been divided into several wetland observation pools, ecological education pools, small sedimentation areas and plant conservation areas accessible from wooden walkways. [In this park] you can see many aquatic plants and animals such as green beetroot, "man jiang hong," duckweed, aquatic worms, mosquitofish, tadpoles and other varieties of [wetland organism.] There are 32 types of birds, 121 types of plants, and over 70 types of insects to be found within the park. (2)
2. 萬年溪的整治 Managing the Wannian River
2. 萬年溪流經屏東市中心地帶 , 是屏東市內的主要溪流 , 早年溪水清澈 , 可惜因為各類污水匯集 , 水質污黑惡臭 , 被譏為 "萬年臭" . 在各方要求改善整治下 , 1991年先拆除攔水壩 , 後又提出加蓋闢建為六十五米林蔭大道的規劃 , 列為屏東生活圈道路交通系統 , 配合屏東市污水下水道工程 , 分年分期辦理 , 是屏東市有史以來最大的建設 . 1995年進行後續第二期工程時 , 反對加蓋的聲浪不斷 , 引發不同爭議而停工 . 縣政府邀集各界研議 , 決定不再續蓋 , 但河床上已完成的墩桂 , 還有待進一步解決 . 2004年 , 環保署建議將萬年溪作為未來三年屏東縣示範河川 , 縣府將以水清見魚為整治目標 , 完成 "綠色萬年溪" 計畫 , 期望重現當年綠色風貌 . The Wannian River flows through the center of Pingtung City, and is the main waterway through this part of the county. In early times the river water was clear, but sadly the dumping of sewage into the river made it black and smelly. [Locals] often ridiculed "the Wannian stench." After everyone requested government intervention, a dam along the river was demolished in 1991, and a plan to build a 65 meter forested boulevard along the river was proposed. [This forested boulevard] would be part of a "living network" of roads and walkways in the heart of Pingtung City, and its construction coincided with improvements to sewage and wastewater management in the area. It was completed in phases by years, and was the largest construction project undertaken in Pingtung City up to that point.
After the second phase of construction was completed in 1995, there was continual public outcry over additional construction, which caused a lot or discord and led to the suspension of the project. The county government invited people from many fields to discuss the project, and ultimately an end to the project was declared. By that time the piers over the riverbed had already been completed, though a means to finish work already begun had yet to be decided. In 2004 the EPA recommended that the Wannian River be used as a an example of a "model river" for the next three years, and it is hoped that during this year [2008] the county government will complete its "Green Wannian River" project, which will attempt to clean the water to the point where fish can be seen within it. (3)
二 , 歷史背景 Two: Historical Background
1. 阿猴古城的鄉土人物 The People of the A-Hou Fortified City
1. 唐榮鐵工廠曾為台灣首屈一指的大企業 , 但在戰爭期間遭受無情砲火轟炸 , 附近校舍赤遭美軍炸燬殆盡 . 唐榮 , 唐傳宗父子重整事業成功後 , 有感於取之於社會 , 用之於社會的理念 , 以及興學育才的理想 , 獨資捐款修校 , 並於1951年復校 , 政府為表彰唐榮父子捐資興學的美德 , 特將校名改為 "唐榮國民學校" , 以資紀念 . The Tangrong Iron Foundry was a major Taiwanese business before WWII. It received repeated artillery bombardments, and the nearby school campus was destroyed by Allied bombs. Once father and son Tang Rong and Tang Rong-dzong managed to reorganize their business, they felt a need to give back to the community, use local people, and to develop local talent. They donated money to restore the school campus, and in 1951 it was completed. The government commended father and son for their efforts, and the name of the school was changed to "Tangrong Elementary School" in their honor. (4)
三 , 社會發展 Three: Societal Development
1. 阿猴老街再現 The Reappearance of the A-Hou Old Street
1. 舊名 "阿猴街" 的中山路 , 自火車站廣場前經過最熱鬧的慈鳳宮廣場後 , 沿途有唐榮國小 , 糧食局 , 台灣銀行 , 孫立人將軍行館及日治時代的軍方高級眷舍 , 再至崇蘭蕭氏家廟 , 是屏東最早發展的一條路 . 早期阿猴城發展是依中山路為分界線 , 朝南北兩方向發展 , 火車站至慈鳳宮一帶 , 在日治時代稱為 "黑金町" , 除了慈鳳宮外 , 還有西本願寺 , 天主教堂 , 日本公學校 , 當時著名的商家則集中在逢甲路上 . Jungshan Road, formerly known as "A-Hou Street," passes from the plaza in front of the train station to the lively courtyard in front of Tsefeng Temple. From there it passes by Tangrong Elementary School, the Food Agency, the Bank of Taiwan, General Suen Li-ren's home, to senior officers' quarters during the period of Japanese occupation, and from there to the ancestral temple consecrated to Chong Lan-xiao. It was the earliest road developed in Pingtung.
During the earliest years of its development, A-Hou [the old name for Pingtung City] developed to the north and south along this road. The area between the train station and Tsefeng Temple was referred to as "Black Town" during the Japanese occupation. Aside from Tsefeng Temple, this area also hosted a Nishi Hongan Ji Temple, Catholic churches, and Japanese public schools. Many famous merchants of the time were also concentrated along nearby Fengjia Road. (5)
沿中山路往崇蘭部落走去 , 是日治時代的 "綠町" , 早年一望無際的綠色稻田 , 日出而作的農家撲實景緻 , 刻劃出阿猴城農業興盛的風貌 . During the Japanese occupation, walking along Jungshan Road from Chonglan Village would have brought you to "Green Town." The rice fields stretching to the horizon during this time, along with the farmhouses tinted by the sunrise, made the agricultural prosperity of this place evident. (6)
2. 花園城市的打造 Creation of a Garden City
2. 市公所近年推動綠美化工作 , 小小的市區有大大小小四十九座公園綠地 . 除了中山公園 , 千禧公園 , 復興公園外 , 已開發完成的鄰里公園包刮自立公園 , 永大公園 , 武愛公園 , 武昌公園 , 武立公園 , 大武公園 , 武威公園 , 清世公園 , 鶴聲公園 , 扶輪公園 , 建國公園 , 武成公園 , 光明公園 , 老樹公園 , 忠孝公園 , 瑞光公園 , 興豐公園 , 德豐公園 , 豐連公園 , 莊敬公園 , 倩如公園 , 俊如公園 , 上興公園 , 中正公園 , 和平公園 , 民學公園 , 長春公園 , 崇蘭環保公園等 . 此外 , 還有萬年溪畔沿岸的綠美化植栽 , 都是市民休閒的最佳去處 , 成為名副其實的花園城市 . 中山公園於1915年創立 , 面積二萬三千七百一十五坪 , 位於市中心 , 原稱屏東公園 , 內有南國氣氛的熱帶樹 , 涼亭水榭 , 九重葛花棚 , 兒童遊樂場 , 田徑場 , 體育館等 , 是一個兼具休閒 , 觀光 , 運動多功能場所 . 園區並有多項紀念碑 , 包括光復紀念碑 , 1952年省運紀念碑 , 1996年區運紀念碑 , 二二八事件紀念碑等 . 編號為 "公園預定地二號" 的千禧公園 , 面積僅次於中山公園 , 四面環接大連路 , 廣西路 , 自由路及勝利路 , 均為人口密集住宅區 . 2001年啟用後 , 廣受市民喜愛 , 園內採取低度開發 , 保持園區原生植物生態及萬年溪親水整治 , 綠意盎然 , 已成為市民最佳的休閒場所 . In recent years the Pingtung City Office has been working toward a greener city, and the 49 parks of various sizes to be found within the city are part of this effort. Aside from Jungshan Park, Qianxi Park and Fuxing Park, [smaller] neighborhood parks include Dzeli Park, Yongda Park, Wu-ai Park, Wuchang Park, Wuli Park, Dawu Park, Wuwei Park, Qingshr Park, Hesheng Park, Fulun Park, Jianguo Park, Wucheng Park, Guangming Park, Laoshu Park, Jungxiao Park, Rueiguang Park, Xingfeng Park, Defeng Park, Fenglian Park, Jhuangjing Park, Qianru Park, Junru Park, Shangxing Park, Jongjung Park, Heping Park, Minxue Park, Changchun Park, Chonglan Environmental Park and others. In addition there are green areas along the banks of the Wannian River. All of these parks and green areas are good places for city people to relax, and all of them justify Pingtung City being referred to as a garden city. (7)
Jungshan Park was founded in 1915. It covers 23,715 meters, and is in the center of the city. It was originally referred to as Pingtung Park. The trees growing within it give one a feeling of being in the tropics, and there are pavilions near the water, bougainvillea growing over a lattice, a playground, a track and an athletic stadium. It is a multi-purpose space suitable for leisure, sightseeing and sports. There are also many monuments in the park, including a monument commemorating the restoration of Taiwan to the Republic of China, the Provincial Movement of 1952 Monument, the District Movement of 1996 Monument, and the 2-28 Monument. (8)
Commonly known as "the second park," Qianxi Park is second only to Jungshan Park in size. It's bordered by Dalian Road, Guangxi Road, Dzeyou Road and Shengli Road, and it lies in a densely populated area. Since its opening in 2001 it has been very popular with the public. It hasn't been developed as much, both to maintain the local ecology and to preserve the water quality of the Wannian River. The park retains a lot of greenery and is the best place for urban recreation. (9)
四 , 藝術文化 Four: Arts and Culture
1. 保存文化的意義與價值 The Meaning and Value of Preserving One's Culture
1. 阿猴城擁有許多優質的古蹟與歷史建築 , 在社區意識逐漸抬頭的今日 , 文化資產的保存與再生 , 對社區發展文化傳承具有地方特色發展之助益 , 並可提升地方文化涵養與人文素質 . 以在地意識出發的 "文化資產" 有三項重要內涵 , 分別為社區自覺 , 在地意義和創新價值 . 這文化資產是由在地居民經過自覺而重新認同 , 可呈現社區特色與歷史意義的生命內涵 , 特別是將文化資產與地方特色緊密結合 , 更會激勵社區居民不斷思考如何才能更發揮社區特色 , 展現社區的新活力 , 2005年新修正的 "文化資產保存法" , 將具有歷史 , 文化 , 藝術價值的古物 , 古蹟 , 民族藝術 , 民俗及有關文物和自然文化景觀等 , 界定為文化資產 , 分別訂定條文加以保護 , 期盼透過地方資源的整合 , 為阿猴城的子孫留住在地珍貴的文化資產 . The A-Hou Fortified City has many valuable monuments and historic buildings. As an awareness of the need for preserving and restoring [these monuments and historic buildings] has grown within the community, so has an awareness of the distinct local character [these monuments and buildings] impart to community development. They add a humane, cultural quality to communities.
"Cultural assets" within a community have three important characteristics, these being recognizability within a community, local functionality and potential for new uses. Cultural assets are officially recognized by local residents, both in terms of their value to the community and their historical significance. A close alignment of cultural assets with local characteristics will cause members of the community to think about how to best promote the characteristics of their community, and how to give their community new life.
In 2005 the newly revised "Cultural Assets Preservation Law" defined antiquities with historical, cultural or artistic value, and also historic sites, folk arts, items of ritual value and natural cultural landscapes as cultural assets. Separate provisions [of this same law] were devised to protect these cultural assets, and it is hoped that through an integration of local resources these cultural assets can be preserved for future generations of people in the A-Hou Fortified City. (10)
五 , 古蹟維護保存與再利用 Five: Preservation and New Uses of Historic Site
1. 阿猴古城蹟的展望 The Potential of the A-Hou Fortified City Historic Site
1. 阿猴城內的古蹟如朝陽門 , 武廟 , 平日採開放模式 , 可自由參觀 , 而宗聖公祠 , 文廟正修復中 , 屏東鐵橋在九曲堂的斷裂處赤整建中 , 經由修護此歷史性建築 , 使其再生與活化鐵橋生命力 . 古蹟本有啟發今人思古幽情之功用 , 如果沒有適當規劃與開放 , 即喪失其應有的功能 , 也有礙於民眾對古蹟文物內涵 , 價值的認知 . 而在 "使用" 與 "維護古蹟" 兩種價值與目的間的衝突 , 不只是考驗著居民對古蹟文物的愛護情懷 , 更考驗著地方政府的智慧 . 因而在開放與維護之間 , 應求取一理想平台 . Historic sites representing the A-Hou Fortified City include the Chaoyang City Gate and the Guangong Temple. These places are open every day and there is no entrance fee. The Dzongshenggong Ancestral Hall and the Confucian Temple are being restored, while the Pingtung Iron Bridge, missing its central span, is being repaired in Jiouqutang. This restoration of the historic bridge and nearby historic buildings should give new life to the site, and will inspire modern people to think about their past. (11)
If there is no proper plan to reopen these sites they will cease to have any use, and people's understanding of both the past and cultural relics will be hindered. The tension between "continued use" and "historical preservation" is a test of how much people venerate of their past and the cultural relics which represent it. It is also a test of how wise [or foolish] local governments can be. For this reason we should try to strike a balance between practical use and historical preservation.
Related Entries 相關的文章:
1. In former times Pingtung City was known as "A-Hou" or 阿猴. You could translate the城 as "city," but I felt that since most of this chapter/article revolves around the gate in Pingtung Park, which I can only assume was once connected to other gates by a wall, using "fortified city" was more appropriate.
2. Apparently one of the teachers writing this book didn't get the memo about how it was supposed to be about PINGTUNG, not Kaohsiung. The park described in this section is next to Chungching (Chungqing) Lake in Kaohsiung.
3. Corruption may have played a role as well. It's not unheard of for local contractors and government officials in this area to use big construction projects like this to funnel money away from the county government.
4. The Chinese reads "the American army," but I don't know if this is an accurate statement. "The Allies" seemed a safer choice.
5. Suen Li-ren ("Sun Li-jen") was a general in the KMT forces stationed in China. He wouldn't have arrived in Taiwan until long after the Japanese had left.
6. It's hard to imagine now. In 2021 a trip to Pingtung Train Station will take you to the center of the city, southwest of the department stores. Tsefeng Temple is still there, just a short walk away, but the pastoral splendor of "Green Town" has been replaced by Pingtung County's largest city. About 1/4 of Pingtung County's popularion resides in Pingtung City.
7. Too many parks in this section to link. Many of them are super tiny anyway. Fuxing Park, which I did link above, has been renovated. It's presently the most popular park in the area.
8. The name has since reverted to Pingtung Park. It's right across from the department stores in downtown Pingtung City. If you're in that area at night the Christmas lights are worth a look. It does NOT, however, feel even remotely tropical.
9. It's northeast of Pingtung (Jungshan) Park. "Hasn't been developed much" relative to other places in that area. It's very urban, so don't go expecting paradise.
10. Reminds me of a book I read some time ago, "Free Market Environmentalism." Not sure I 100% agree with that book, but it's worth a look if you have the time.
11. The Chaoyang City Gate is just another name for the East Gate. The Pingtung Iron Bridge spanned the Kaoping River between Pingtung County and Kaohsiung City. The bridge has long since been restored, and there's a walkway along it now which offers a nice view of the river. The park in Jiuqutang, which is in Kaohsiung, is a good place to visit.
