Central Street (Taiwan)

Central Street

Taiwan
Native name	中央街 (Chinese)
Type	pedestrian zone
Location	Magong, Penghu, Taiwan
Coordinates	23°33′53.8″N 119°33′53.6″E

Central Street (Chinese: 中央街; Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōngyāng Jiē; Tongyong Pinyin: Jhongyang Jie; Wade–Giles: Chungyang Chieh) is a street in Magong City, Penghu County, Taiwan.

History

The area of the street was the first settlement on the island, making the street the oldest street in Penghu. During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, the street was expanded into a commercial area named The Seven Streets and One Market, which includes the surrounding adjacent alleys and market. After Taiwan was handed over from Japan to the Republic of China in October 1945, the street was redesigned and new commercial districts were built. In the late 1980s, this historical street faced threats from urban development which might divide the street into smaller sections. Some local officials and scholars then launched a project in 1991 to preserve the street and made it a cultural and historical district.

Architecture

The oldest street in Makung, this winding, brick paved pedestrian street, located behind the city's Matsu Temple, features the Shihkung Ancestral Shrine and the Well of a Thousand Soldiers. In 1682 the goddess Matsu is said to have bequeathed a magical well to Ming soldiers massing for an invasion of Taiwan.

Buildings along this street also show a mixture of Western and Fujian elements, such as the Chien-i Tang Chinese Traditional Medicine Store. Many of them were constructed with red brick pillars and woods.

See also

• List of roads in Taiwan