Yingge District

Yingge
鶯歌區
District
Yingge District

Location of Yingge in New Taipei City
Coordinates: 24°34′12″N 121°16′12″E / 24.57000°N 121.27000°E / 24.57000; 121.27000Coordinates: 24°34′12″N 121°16′12″E / 24.57000°N 121.27000°E / 24.57000; 121.27000
Country  Taiwan
Special municipality New Taipei
Area
  Total 21.1248 km2 (8.1563 sq mi)
Population (January 2016)
  Total 87,931
  Density 4,200/km2 (11,000/sq mi)
Time zone CST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 239
Area code(s) 02
Website www.yingge.ntpc.gov.tw

Yingge District (Chinese: ; pinyin: Yīnggē Qū; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Eng-ko-khu; literally: "oriole song township") is an urban district located on the Dahan River in southwestern New Taipei City in northern Republic of China (Taiwan).[1] It is famous for the production of porcelain and an abundance of art studios and shops.

Origin of the name

Yingge Rock, after which the district is named.

On the northern side of Yingge lies a formation that went by the names of 鸚哥 (Parrot Stone), 石 (Eagle Brother Stone), and 哥石 (Golden oriole or Warbler Brother Stone). The last stone is where the current name of the district derives from.[2] The modern name "Yingge" () literally means "Warbler Song" in Chinese.

According to legend, the rock formation produced a miasma that disoriented, sickened, and sometimes killed passers-by. One day, General Koxinga led his army past the rock. When they were caught in the miasma, he ordered his cannon to fire against the rock. When the neck of the stone eagle was broken, the miasma lifted and the troops could continue on their march.

History

According to legend, by 1684, the Yingge area already had Hakka migrants who specialized in cultivating tea.[2] According to the locals, the history of ceramics in Yingge began 200 years ago when Wu An (吳鞍) immigrated from Guangzhou to Yingge to become the first potter in the area. Later, Chen Kun (陳昆), a brick maker, moved to the area and the two strived to make Yingge into the centre of Taiwan's ceramics industry.[3]

In 1920, Yingge Stone Village (鶯歌石庄) was renamed to Yingge Village (鶯歌庄). In 1940, the village was promoted to Yingge Street (鶯歌街), and in 1945 was changed to Yingge Small Town (鶯歌鎮).[2] Today, Yingge is the largest centre for ceramic production in Taiwan, with over 800 ceramic-related businesses in the area.

Tourist attractions

Ceramics display

Transportation

The best mode of transportation for visiting Yingge is the train from Taipei for half an hour ride which available every hour. From the Yingge Station, easy walking to reach the ceramic Street will enable you to experience the small town charm and features local snacks. Ceramic Street merchants opens from nine o'clock in the morning, it is recommended to arrive at 10am.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yingge.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Yingge.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, February 13, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.