Beigang Old Street 北港老街

5/9/2024

Beigang was once the second largest city in Taiwan, second only to Tainan City, and was central Taiwan's most important maritime trading post. After the silting of the Beigang River, the town mostly relies on agriculture for its economy, but Beigang Old Street is also one of the most important religious sites in Taiwan due to the worship of Mazu in Beigang Chaotian Temple. Besides the temple, there are also many food and shopping options nearby. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to central Taiwan.

Historical Background:
Before Chinese settlers came to the area, Yunlin was inhabited by native peoples. During the Dutch era in Taiwan in the 1600s, Chinese farmers first began to move here. One notable Chinese pioneer was Yan Siqi (also known as Pedro Chino, or the Pioneer King of Taiwan). He created a settlement in Ponkan (笨港 Bengang, modern day Beigang) and recruited over 3000 farmers from Fujian and nearby regions in China to come farm in Taiwan. He also had 13 ships and a merchant trade and formed an alliance with the local indigenous population.
Dutch and Chinese farmers introduced mango, sweet potato, pineapple, and many other crops to Taiwan at this time.
When Koxinga invaded Taiwan, many local Chinese farmers such as Chen Lixun supported Koxinga and were rewarded with lands once the Dutch were conquered.
During the Qing Dynasty, the waterways around the Beigang River were made deeper than other areas in central Taiwan, allowing for larger ships and more trade. Beigang soon became one of the most prosperous areas in central Taiwan.

In 1700 Chen Lixun donated to build the "Penkan Tianfei Temple," now the "Beigang Chaotian Temple 北港朝天宮." The temple housed a statue of Mazu brought from Meizhou in Fujian. Soon, it became the most important temple in the area. The temple has undergone reconstruction in 1730, 1770, and 1884. Currently the temple sees more than a million visitors a year and is considered one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan, and is part of the annual Mazu pilgrimage.
After many Typhoons and floods, the Beigang River became silted and shallow, and also due to silting the seashore moved further and further westward away from the town. In 1750, due to the southward shift of the river channel, Beigang Old Street was divided into two: North Street (now Beigang Town) and South Street (now Xingang Township, Chiayi County). Up to the Japanese colonial period, the port lost its function as a maritime trading location, but it remained a center for agricultural commerce. The establishment of sugar mills during the Japanese colonial period also brought significant economic benefits to Beigang for nearly a hundred years. The construction of Chaotian Temple and the widespread belief in Mazu further contributed to Beigang's fame.
However, since the Japanese colonial period, due to the silting of the port, the lack of a main railway line passing through, and the absence of a major highway, its economic influence has diminished significantly.
Currently the population of Beigang is about 38,000 and it continues to fall every year.
Beigang Old Street is usually still busy especially on weekends due to religious pilmagriges. The street is especially busy during the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage.

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Where to stay:
We have stayed at and recommend Ai Ni Ya Hotel, with great quality and service right in downtown Beigang (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).
We also recommend the Grand Earl Hotel, a high class hotel in central Douliu (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here)
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Tours in Yunlin:
Tours and activities in Yunlin include Janfusun Fancy World Amusement Park, Kite Surfing, Tree Climbing , Chaoyang Green Energy Farm, Sam Siu Garden, Pink Castle Park, Gukeng Green Tunnel, Caoling Highway, and more.
You can find more tours of Yunlin on Klook here or KKday here.

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog.
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase.

How to get there:
By Scooter: From Chiayi, go east on highway 164 until you Reach Beigang. There is free parking on the side of the road.
Looking for scooter rental in Yunlin? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
By Car: From National Freeway 1, get off at the no. 257 Xingang / Minxiong Exit and keep going east on highway 164 until you Reach Beigang. There is paid parking near the riverside at the end of the old street.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bus/Train: From Chiayi HSR Station, you can take bus 7235 for about 40 minutes to Beigang Town.
You can also book tickets to travel to Yunlin via inter-city bus on Klook h ere.
You can book tickets to Yunlin via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here.
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been Beigang Old Street once. It is definitely one of the top old streets in Taiwan and worth visiting if you are a foreign tourist. There are usually a lot of people here, mostly followers of Mazu coming to worship at Chaotian Temple. It is interesting to me that Beigang was once considered a coastal town, but that just goes to show how much western Taiwan has silted in during the past 300 years. I was both fascinated and intrigued while visiting this old street.

Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.

360 spherical view from Beigang Old Street, the largest old street in Yunlin County and important religious site for the Dajia Mazu pilgrimage. #北港老街 #北港 #空拍 #雲林 #老街 360 pano #132 originally posted Dec. 6, 2022
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Or check out the 360 degree spherical panorama above.

Map of the area.

Yimin Road in central Beigang at night.

We stayed near Beigang Wude Temple 北港武德宮 which is another impressive sight in the town.

Another view of the huge temple complex.

Some old Qing Dynasty era buildings in the town.

At the very end of the old street is the Beigang Tourist Bridge (北港觀光大橋) which is a giant red streel truss bridge that crosses over into Chiayi County.

There is also a pedestrian bridge here over the road that is good for taking photos.

View under the pedestrian bridge.

Another view.

All of the sudden a Mazu tour group came all in yellow hats.

More views as the tour group walked by.

View from on top of the pedestrian bridge. The only problem here is that there are tons of wires.

View looking back at the tourist bridge.

This old street is bustling with food options and shops.

View down the other side of the old street.

Dried nuts for sale.

More shops across the street.

Small bazaar.

Noodle shop.

Hot dog and water chestnut stand.

Another view down the old street looking at Chaotian Temple.

More dried nuts.

Corn for sale.

Almond powder for sale.

Traditional bags, farming tools, and more.

View down a small alley off the old street.

Oyster omelet stand.

More rice and noodle shops.

More restaurants and food stalls.

Incense shop.

Getting closer to Chaotian Temple.

Taking photos in front of Chaotian Temple.

In 1700 Chen Lixun donated to build the "Penkan Tianfei Temple," now the "Beigang Chaotian Temple 北港朝天宮." The temple housed a statue of Mazu brought from Meizhou in Fujian. Soon, it became the most important temple in the area. The temple has undergone reconstruction in 1730, 1770, and 1884. Currently the temple sees more than a million visitors a year and is considered one of the most important Mazu temples in Taiwan, and is part of the annual Mazu pilgrimage.

Mazu (the deified form of Lin Moniang) is an important god for sailors and fisherman in Taiwan as she is said to give them her protection. There are many millions of Mazuist followers in Taiwan. Mazu was an important God from the very beginning in Beigang when it was truly a maritime trading port.