Xi Sheng Old Street 西盛老街

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Xisheng Old Street (aka Wugoushui Xisheng Old Street) is a historical street in the township of Wanluan in rural Pingtung dating back over 300 years to the Qing Dynasty. Here you can find a group of well-preserved historical Hakka buildings that are religious sites with very few other tourists around. It is definitely worth a visit on your next trip to Pingtung County.

Background:
For millennia Pingtung had been inhabited by plains aboriginal groups. Their biggest settlement was called Ahou, on the current site of Pingtung City, and another settlement to the northwest along the Gaoping River was called Aligang, which is where Ligang gets its name.
The first Chinese settlers came to the area in the late 1600s during the Kingdom of Tungming and Qing Dynasty. Before that time, the area was known as a place of exile for Chinese criminals. During the Qing Dynasty, the area was part of Fengshan County.
The first settlers to Neipu were Hakka people who came from China in 1710. They built a Mazu temple here which became the religious center of the area. 
Wugoushui Xisheng Old Street is so named because from olden times there were five ditches built (original meaning of Wugoushui 五溝水), therefore the village here is named Wugoushui. 
Xisheng Old Street in Wugoushui Village soon became the economic and cultural center of the area as well. 
Many of the buildings in the area have remained unchanged since the Qing Dynasty. Although there are many shops and restaurants in town, it is not a "touristy" place that attracts crowds of people. The area is usually not very busy even on weekends. 

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Hours:
24/7


Price:
Free

Tours and Activities in Pingtung:
There are many activities available in Pingtung, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. 
You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. 

Where to stay:
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Pingtung, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, or Klook here for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. 

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 1 south to the bottom of Taiwan until it becomes Neipu. Then travel east to Wanluan Township until you reach the old street.
Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options.
You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
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: You can reach Ligang from Pingtung Bus 8220 or 8217. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus 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 to Xisheng Old Street once. I regret that I did not have more time to explore the area. I only had time to visit at night time and I didn't give it the time or attention it deserves. There are many historical buildings in the area that deserve further exploration. 

Old house with painting on the side. 

More old brick houses on the road.

Binlang stand. 

One of the most famous historical buildings on the Old Street is the Liu Family Mansion. 

Here there is a beautiful Chinese garden with traditional a stone fence. 

View from the back door.

Main entrance to the household, with cats there to greet me. 

Closer view of the old house. 

Usually visitors are only allowed until 5 PM. 

"Built in 1864 during the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi period, the Liu Family Ancestral Shrine was erected to unite the clan and serve as a spiritual and religious center for the Liu family, with close ties to the local community of Wugoushui. It was established in the name of the clan's sixth-generation ancestor, Ji-Shu, by the joint efforts of three members of the Aitang faction, Ying-Jue, Ying-Rui, and Guang-Yu, and one member of the Beitang faction, Zhen-Heng. In 1921, during the Taisho period, the shrine was expanded, and a Western-style garden and mansion were added, making it the most representative architectural structure in Wugoushui."

Painting of an old man in the doorway.

Another scene with an elephant on the other side. 

View inside the main courtyard. 

Four cats hanging out inside.

Another cat on the roof.

There is also a beatiful garden and pavilion outside.

There are many similar houses in this neighborhhod that I did not get to see, but they are there for you to explore!

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​Don't forget there are many more activities in Pingtung such as such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. 
You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. 

You can check out our full guide to Pingtung here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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