Yaolin Street & Putou Street

Once an important commercial area, Yaolin Street and Putou Street are some of the oldest streets in Lukang. Before the Qing dynasty, Lukang was a bustling port closest to China’s coastal cities than any other ports in Taiwan. For those who traveled across the sea to immigrate to Taiwan or simply to do business, Lukang was always their best option to enter the island. This modest little port town soon became a major metropolis that facilitated the trade relationships between central Taiwan and China. Immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong settled here and started to build up all kinds of shophouses along these narrow, winding streets. In recent years, the local government has taken action to preserve this century-old street and bring it back to life. Full of nostalgia, Yaolin Street and Putou Street are paved with red bricks and flagstones, allowing visitors to travel down the time tunnel and back in time to revisit the splendid lives that our ancestors have lived in the past.

As Lukang developed around the port, in the early years a significant number of workers could be spotted loading and unloading goods, while businessmen gathered to purchase the newly arrived products. However, as time went by, the continued silting of the harbor led to the decline in the importance of Lukang as a port. Today, no ships can be seen around the port anymore, but myriads of eateries, handicraft shops and traditional workshops continue to boom. A wealth of historic sites are also to be found in this quaint little town. For example, Xinzu Temple (新祖廟) is the only official temple that is dedicated to Mazu and was built by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty. Lukang Assembly Hall (公會堂), also known as Lukang Cultural Center, is where the Japanese colonizers made policy announcements. Half-Sided Well (半邊井) tells a heartwarming story of neighbors helping other neighbors by sharing half of their own well with those who suffered from a lack of water.

While in Lukang, you should never leave without taking a nice stroll along Yaolin Street and Putou Street. It can be crowded during weekends though. But if you are thirsty during the walk, be sure to find a tea shop and have a iced cup of sour prune drink (酸梅湯) to sip the heat away.