Ershui Township () is a rural
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
in southeastern
Changhua County
Changhua County (Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
Geography
Ershui is bordered on the north by
Tianzhong Township, to the east by
Mingjian Township in
Nantou County
Nantou County (; Hokkien POJ: ''Lâm-tâu-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Nàm-thèu-yen'') is the second largest county of Taiwan by area, located in the central part of the country. It is also the only non-coastal county in Taiwan. Its name derives fro ...
, and to the west by
Xizhou Township. Its name means, literally, "Two Waters", which is a reference to the two irrigation canals constructed in the township, 1 and 2, linking the waters from the nearby
Zhuoshui River
The Zhuoshui River, also spelled Choshui or Jhuoshuei River, () is the longest river in Taiwan. It flows from its source in Nantou County up to the western border of the county, subsequently forming the border between Yunlin County and Changhua ...
to the fertile
Changhua Plain
Changhua Plain (), which is sometimes listed as "Changhua Coastal Plain", is an alluvial plain in central Taiwan on the west coast between the Old Zhuoshui River (舊濁水溪) and Dadu River (Taiwan), Dadu River, and bordered to the east by the B ...
. Ershui is known for its picturesque scenery and the nearby
Bagua Mountain Range, and offers many biking and hiking trails. The bulk of Ershui's population lives near its central plaza in front of the Ershui railway station, on the Western Line on the
TRA Tra or TRA may refer to:
Biology
* TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus
* Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer
* Tra gene, a transfer gene
* Triple rele ...
's railway network.
Ershui encompasses and a population of 15,489, including 8,126 males and 7,363 females as of January 2017.
History
The township's former name () refers to
Babao canals 1 and 2, which take water from the
Choshui River
The Zhuoshui River, also spelled Choshui or Jhuoshuei River, () is the longest river in Taiwan. It flows from its source in Nantou County up to the western border of the county, subsequently forming the border between Yunlin County and Changhua ...
to irrigate the farmlands of
Changhua
Changhua (Hokkien POJ: ''Chiong-hòa'' or ''Chiang-hòa''), officially known as Changhua City, is a county-administered city and the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. For many centuries the site was h ...
. The canals are known as the "Mother Rivers of Changhua", spreading out in a fan-shaped distribution throughout Changhua county and creating a fertile plain for agriculture. During
Japanese rule, the name was changed to , which was modified to Ershui Township after Taiwan's handover to the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
in 1945.
Records of habitation at Ershui has been documented all the way back to 1621, in the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
. The first inhabitants first came from
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
,
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
to
Lukang
Lukang, formerly romanized as Lugang and also known by other names, is an urban township in northwestern Changhua County, Taiwan. The township is on the west coast of Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait. Lukang was an important sea port in the 18t ...
, Changhua County, and then to the foothills of the
Bagua mountain range. The settlers co-existed with the indigenous people, and began farming, irrigated by spring water from the mountains. The population at that time was roughly 300.
After the construction of Babao canal 1 during
Qing rule, the population spread outwards from the Bagua foothills towards the canal itself. Farms emerged on both sides of the canal, and this farming boom increased the population to 1700 people, or around 300 households. With the construction of the passenger and freight station, local businesses emerged on 1 km of the station front street, which was accelerated by the formal construction of the
TRA Tra or TRA may refer to:
Biology
* TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus
* Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer
* Tra gene, a transfer gene
* Triple rele ...
Nisui Station in 1918. Finally, the construction of a pineapple canning plant in 1932 began an economic boom for Nisui, making it the most prosperous town in the
Choshui River
The Zhuoshui River, also spelled Choshui or Jhuoshuei River, () is the longest river in Taiwan. It flows from its source in Nantou County up to the western border of the county, subsequently forming the border between Yunlin County and Changhua ...
region at the time.
Administrative divisions
The township comprises 17 villages: Changhe, Dayuan, Ershui, Fuxing, Gehe, Gexing, Guanghua, Guozun, Huimin, Shangli, Shenghua, Shiwu, Wenhua, Wuba, Xiuren, Yuanquan and Yumin.
Tourist attractions
A popular spot for tourists and locals alike is the nearby Songboling Recreational Area. The recreational area consists of hiking trails in the Bagua Mountain range, and stretches from Ershuei township into Tianzhong township to the north of it, as well as Mingjian township in Nantou.
The various trails in Songboling, known for their beauty and breathtaking scenery, are also known for the rock macaque monkeys which inhabit the woods along the trails. The population of these macaque monkeys have boomed after tourists began feeding them. However, the local rock macaque preservation society has urged people not to feed them, since it reduces their ability to forage on their own, and overpopulation can also cause starvation.
Transportation
The
Ershui Station
Ershui Station () is a railway station of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) West Coast line (Taiwan), West Coast line located in Ershui, Ershui Township, Changhua County, Taiwan. It is also the western terminus of the Jiji line.
History
E ...
was established in 1918.
The Ershui station is on the
TRA Tra or TRA may refer to:
Biology
* TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus
* Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer
* Tra gene, a transfer gene
* Triple rele ...
Western Line, and it is the transfer station for the
TRA Tra or TRA may refer to:
Biology
* TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus
* Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer
* Tra gene, a transfer gene
* Triple rele ...
Branch
Jiji Line
The Jiji Line () is a branch line of the Taiwan Railways Administration, located in Changhua and Nantou Counties in Taiwan. The length of the line is 29.7 km.
History
The line was originally built by Taipower in 1922 to facilitate the co ...
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
operated by the
TRA Tra or TRA may refer to:
Biology
* TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus
* Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer
* Tra gene, a transfer gene
* Triple rele ...
. It is designated as a second-tier train station in the TRA system.
Notable natives
*
Hsieh Tung-min
Hsieh Tung-min (; 25 January 1908 – 9 April 2001) was the ninth Governor of Taiwan Province (1972–1978), the sixth and first local Taiwanese Vice President of the Republic of China (1978–1984) under president Chiang Ching-kuo.
Family an ...
, Vice President of the Republic of China (1978–1984)
*
Timothy Yang
Timothy Yang or Yang Chin-tien (; born 1 July 1942) is a Taiwanese diplomat and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General to the President of the Republic of China, serving under President Ma Ying-Jeou.
Early life
Yang was born in ...
, Secretary-General of the
Presidential Office (2012-2015)
References
{{Townships in Taiwan
Townships in Changhua County