Urban township in Changhua County, Taiwan

Lukang 鹿港鎮 Rokkō; Luchiang; Lugang
Urban township
Lukang Township
An alley in the old town of Lukang
Coordinates: 24°03′N 120°26′E / 24.050°N 120.433°E / 24.050; 120.433
Country	Taiwan
County	Changhua County
Government [1]
• Type	Urban township
• Mayor	許志宏
Area
• Total	71.802 km2 (27.723 sq mi)
Population  (January 2023)[2]
• Total	85,423
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Gender
• Male	44,101
• Female	42,717
Website	www.lukang.gov.tw/eng

Lukang Township
Traditional Chinese	鹿港鎮
Literal meaning	Deer Harbor
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lùgǎng Zhèn Bopomofo ㄌㄨˋㄍㄤˇㄓㄣˋ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Luhgaang Jenn Wade–Giles Lu⁴-kang³ Chên⁴ Tongyong Pinyin Lùgǎng Jhèn MPS2 Lùgǎng Jèn IPA [lû.kàŋ ʈʂə̂n] Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ Lu̍k-kóng-chṳ́n Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lo̍k-káng-tìn Tâi-lô Lo̍k-káng-tìn

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 18th century and 19th century. It was the most populous city in central Taiwan until the early 20th century. In March 2012, it was named one of the Top 10 Small Tourist Towns by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan.^[3]

The township's name, which means "Deer Port", came from its deerskin trade during the Dutch period. Its old Taiwanese name was Lok-a-kang (Chinese: 鹿仔港; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lo̍k-á-káng) and its shortened version is seen in English texts and maps as variants such as Lok-kang,^[4] Lokang^[5] and Lo-kiang.^[6]

In 2011, the Ministry of Interior decided to keep the historical Wade-Giles spelling "Lukang" and abandon the change to the Pinyin spelling "Lugang" consistent with the switch to Tongyong Pinyin in 2002 and later Hanyu Pinyin 2009.^[7]

An important trading port during Lukang's heyday from 1785 to 1845, Lukang's population reached 20,000.^[8] Lukang was Taiwan's second largest city after Tainan and was larger than Bangka (now a district of Taipei), then the island's third-largest city.^{[citation needed]} The rice industry brought great wealth to the city. During the late 1800s the most prominent families in Lukang were the Huang and Koo clans.^[9]

The subsequent silting of the harbor and the city's refusal to allow railroads to pass through the city led to losses in trade in commerce, which, in turn led to Lukang's decline relative to other cities, which were experiencing considerable urbanization and population growth. This same decline, however, averted the modernization processes that demolished historical buildings in Tainan and Taipei, leaving Lukang preserved as it was in the past.

During the period of Japanese rule, the city was Taiwan's fifth most populous city, with a population of 19,805 according to the December 1904 census.^[10] The Hoklo people in the area were predominantly of Xiamen and Quanzhou origin,^[11] thereby speaking the Quanzhou dialect of Hokkien. Nanguan music is highly popular in Lukang and originates from Quanzhou.

In 1920, Lukang was governed as Rokkō Town (鹿港街) under Shōka District of Taichū Prefecture.

There are many old temples in Lukang, such as Longshan Temple and Matzu Temple. The city boasts over 200 temples dedicated to a wide variety of folk deities.^[12] The town is also the origin of the terms "ē-káng" (下港) and "téng-káng" (頂港) used respectively to refer to southern Taiwan and northern Taiwan; the literal meanings of the terms are "below the harbor" and "above the harbor".

The Yu Jen Jai (玉珍齋) cakes are famous local specialties, as well as Lukang's Ox Tongue Cakes (牛舌餅) and oyster pancakes. It will host the 2012 Taiwan Lantern Festival, beating out six other contenders.^[13]

Lukang encompasses 39.46 square kilometers (15.24 sq mi) with a population of 85,423, including 43,199 males and 42,224 females as of January 2023.^[14]

The township comprises 29 villages, which are Dayou, Zhongxing, Luojin, Shunxing, Pulun, Xingong, Yushun, Tungshi, Guocuo, Yongan, Jingfu, Taixing, Zhangxing, Xinghua, Longshan, Caiyuan, Jiewei, Zhaoan, Haipu, Yangcuo, Caozhong, Tounan, Shanlun, Dingpan, Toulun, Gouqi, Liaocuo, Tungqi and Dingcuo.^{[citation needed]}

• Hsingneng Power Plant
• Hsingyuan Power Plant

• BRAND'S Health Museum
• Chang Bin Show-Chwan Health Mall
• Eight Wonders
• Lukang Ai Gate
• Lukang Artist Village
• Lukang Culture Center
• Lukang Folk Arts Museum
• Lukang Kinmen Hall
• Lukang Longshan Temple
• Lukang Rimao Hang
• Lukang Tianhou Temple
• Lukang Wen Wu Temple
• No Heaven Street
• Taiwan Glass Gallery & Glass Temple

The town was referenced in the 1982 song "Lukang, The Small Town" (鹿港小鎮) by Lo Ta-yu.^{[citation needed]}

• Chao Shou-po, politician, educator, civic activist and lawyer
• Koo Hsien-jung, former businessperson
• Koo Chen-fu, businessman, diplomat
• Koo Kwang-ming, politician
• Stan Shih, Co-founder & Honorary Chairman of Acer Inc.
• Li Ang, writer
• Shi Shuqing, writer

• Official website (in English)