Beigang

Běigǎng (北港), formerly known as Bengang (笨港), is a historic town in south-central Yunlin that was once among the most important commercial centers in Taiwan. The area was originally Hoanya Plains Indigenous territory; Hokkien settlers arrived during the Ming-Zheng era, and by the Kangxi period Bengang had become a major coastal trading port, described in the Zhuluo County Gazetteer as the largest market town in the prefecture. In 1750 the Beigang River shifted course, splitting the old settlement in two; the northern half retained its commercial vitality as present-day Beigang, while the southern half became Xingang in Chiayi. Chaotian Temple, a nationally designated monument founded in 1700, is the island’s preeminent Mazu pilgrimage destination; its annual procession draws hundreds of thousands of devotees. Several Japanese colonial buildings have been preserved, including Beigang Waterworks and Dafu Theater, while Beigang Sugar Factory sustained the local economy for much of the 20th century.