Fangyuan

Fāngyuàn (芳苑) is the second-largest township by area in Changhua, covering 96.89 square kilometers along the western coast. Formerly known as Huan-á-uat (番仔挖), meaning “Indigenous peoples’ settlement”, the area was settled by Fujianese immigrants around 1640 and developed into a prosperous fishing and trading port. Today the township has approximately 31,000 residents—down from nearly 46,000 in 1981—and is known for oyster farming and its unique “sea cattle” culture (海牛), the traditional practice of using water buffalo to harvest oysters in the intertidal zone. The main settlement of Wanggong hosts the historic Fuhai Temple, a 200-year-old Mazu temple and regular stop on coastal pilgrimage routes, and the iconic Fangyuan Lighthouse.