Fangli Old City. Fangli was originally the location of the Fangli community of the Punsan Eight Communities of the Siraya people. In the third year of Xianfeng, Quanzhou people built streets north of Fangli Village. During its peak, the salt office produced 2,000 shi annually. Fangli was originally the location of the Fangli community of the Punsan Eight Communities of the Siraya people. In the third year of Xianfeng, Quanzhou people built streets north of Fangli Village. During its peak, the salt office produced 2,000 shi annually, and the dyeing industry was also very developed. For the convenience of commercial activities, Fangli residents paved the main streets with flagstones and built rain shelters over the houses, creating a bustling "street under the sky." In the fifth year of Xianfeng, gentry members Chen Zhidong and Cai Xichou jointly funded the construction of a city. The Fangli City was about three li in circumference, with walls made of earth and stone, and four city gates to the east, west, north, and south. A thorny bamboo hedge was planted outside the city walls, surrounded by a moat with caltrops at the bottom, showing great potential for development. However, the prosperity was short-lived. In the second year of Guangxu, a fire destroyed the city, and the market was abandoned. Furthermore, the coastal railway established a station in Yuanli Street, shifting commercial activities, and Fangli Street gradually declined. Today, the city walls are no longer visible, but the remains of the large ditch to the north allow us to imagine the former grandeur of Fangli City. Although Fangli City is now history, the village still retains rich historical relics, such as Shuntian Temple, the Fangli River Ferry Stele, and the Cai Family Old House, all of which are worth exploring by visitors.
Address: 苗栗縣苑裡鎮老街房裡古城
Hours: 00:00–23:59
Miaoli