Shizi, Pingtung

Shizi Township
獅子鄉
Shizi Township in Pingtung County
Shizi Township in Pingtung County
LocationPingtung County, Taiwan
Area
 • Total
301 km2 (116 sq mi)
Population
 (February 2024)
 • Total
4,768
 • Density16/km2 (41/sq mi)
Shizi Township
Entrance to Shizi Township Hall

Shizi Township[1] is a mountain indigenous township in Pingtung County, Taiwan. It is the largest township of the county. The main population is the Paiwan people of the Taiwanese aborigines.

Names

[edit]

The original Paiwan name for the area was Tjakuvukuvulj (Tjakuvukuvuɬ; historically rendered as Chaobo Obol or in Chinese: 腳歐伯伯). Han Chinese settlers noted a rock outcropping in the shape of a lion's head (Chinese: 獅仔頭山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sai-á-thâu-soaⁿ; lit. 'lion-head mountain') and called the village Sai-a-thau-sia (獅仔頭社; Sai-á-thâu-siā; 'lion-head village').

Under Kuomintang rule, the name was changed to the current Shizi, though in Taiwanese Hokkien the name Sai-a-thau is still normally used in spoken contexts.[2]

Geography

[edit]

The terrain of Shizi is mountainous, as the district is located near Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

Administrative divisions

[edit]

The township comprises eight villages:

  • Caopu (Chinese: 草埔; pinyin: Cǎobù; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chháu-po) (Paiwan: Supaw)
  • Danlu (丹路; Dānlù; Tan-lō) (Paiwan: Tjakuljakuljai)
  • Fenglin (楓林; Fēnglín; Png-lîm)(Paiwan: Kaidi/Naimalipa)
  • Nanshi (南世; Nánshì; Lâm-sè) (Paiwan: Nansiku/Tjuladu)
  • Neishi (內獅; Nèishī; Lāi-sai) (Paiwan: Kacedas)
  • Neiwen (內文; Nèiwén; Lāi-bûn) (Paiwan: Naibun/Tjakuvukuvulj)
  • Shizi (獅子; Shīzi; Sai-chú) (Paiwan: Tjaqaciljai)
  • Zhukeng (竹坑; Zhúkēng; Tek-kheⁿ) (Paiwan: Tjuruguai)

Economy

[edit]

Agriculture

[edit]

Agriculture produced in the township includes mangoes, bird's-nest ferns and watermelons.

Tourist attractions

[edit]

Places of interest in or around Shizi are Shuangliu Forest Recreation Area, the Cultural Objects Museum, Lilongshan and Neiwen Village.

Transportation

[edit]
The South-Link Highway passing through Shizi Township

Shizi is connected via railway through the TRA South-Link Line. A key station is Fangshan Station. Two highways run through the township: Provincial Highway No.1 and Provincial Highway No.9 (South-Link Highway).

References

[edit]
  1. ^ 臺灣地區鄉鎮市區級以上行政區域名稱中英對照表 Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine Glossary of Names for Administrative Divisions. (in Chinese) Accessed at Taiwan Geographic Names Information System website Archived 2013-08-16 at the Wayback Machine (in English). Ministry of the Interior. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  2. ^ 吳秀麗 (1994). Independence Evening Post 商用台語 (in Chinese). Taipei. p. 145. ISBN 9789575963149.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
[edit]

22°12′06″N 120°42′19″E / 22.2018°N 120.7054°E / 22.2018; 120.7054