History
Chenggong Town , the largest fishing port in Eastern Taiwan , was originally named “Malaolou,”and then changed to “Xingang.” After the Second World War, however, the name was changed once again to what it is known as today: “Chenggong.” Although there are many stories about the origins of the name “Malaolou,” until the end of the Qing dynasty, it was an Amis Tribe settlement among farm land. In 1920, in order to adjust administrative districts and build a local port, the Japanese renamed Malaolou Bay to Xingang.
When Taiwan returned to Chinese rule in 1945, there were three towns on the island called “Xingang,” and so to avoid confusion, the provincial government ordered the name to be changed respectively. Due to the similar terrain in Anping Harbor, the development along the northern Chengguangao, and the comparable Hokkien pronunciation of “Chenggong” and “Chengguang,” prominent local people and governors decided to change “Xingang” to “Chenggong.” It also served to commemorate the historic hero Zheng Chenggong, who expelled the Dutch and reclaimed the land for the country. The town has been called “Chenggong” ever since.
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