Old Wall of Fengshan County

Early in the Qing dynasty, Zheng Chenggong (鄭成功) was occupying Taiwan, while other Ming remnant forces fled abroad. Worrying that Taiwan would become a base to revive the Ming dynasty, Qing Emperors Kangxi (康熙), Yongzheng (雍正) and Qianlong (乾隆) had little intention to build Taiwan. In addition, because Taiwan was surrounded by sea, which serves as a natural barrier, the Qing government carried out a "no fortification" policy in Taiwan. Yet during the reign of Kangxi, a military riot broke out in Kaohsiung. To defend against the rioters effectively, the government had no choice but to surround the city with walls made of mud. As a result, the city, which is still located in Fengshan, became the first walled city in Taiwan. Later, during the reign of Qianlong, Lin Shuang-wen (林爽文) stormed the walled city with a group of rebels. The original city became so dilapidated that the citizens had to give it up and moved to another humble city. However, lots of rebellions kept breaking out one after one, so the Qing government was left no choice but re-build the old city, making it the first stone fortress in Taiwan. But at the time people had already got accustomed to the lives in the new city, and therefore they do not want to return to the old, declined city. As a result, the old city, which is not overdeveloped, is preserved.

Although most of the original wall－four kilometers in perimeter－was demolished for urban development during Japanese Colonial Era, there is still a five hundred meters long historic wall remaining. It is one of the most intact ancient city walls in Taiwan－only second to Hengchun Old Town. Walk into the old city from the East Gate, you can see large tracts of grass, where many residents living in nearby public housing walk their dogs when night falls. Stand on the stone walls or lean on the red brick parapets, you feel the wall separates nearby high-rise buildings from the slow atmosphere inside the city. Stroll along the walls, you can reach Kaohsiung's famous tourist spot－Lotus Pond as well as Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, which is just a ten-minute walk to HSR Zuoying Station.