Mei-Nong tourist spots

     Nowadays, Mei-Nong has be developed from agricultural society to tourist industry. When I visited Mei-Nong, I found out that there are some places that most tourists love to visit and take pictures. I would like to introduce the most three popular tourist spots in Mei-Nong.

     First is the east city gate, it is a historic muniment Mei-Nong. It is the oldest city gate in Me-Nong and was built in 1755. The fuction of the east city gate is preventing the attack from aborigines. Aborigines were driven out by Hakka people even though they had been living in Mei-Nong for a long long time. Though the east city gate hasn't be used nowadays, it is still a historic meaning to Hakka people.

     The second is Jung Jeng Lake. This is the second largest lake in Kaohsiung and it's function is restoring water for agriculture. There is a mountain at the northwest side of Jung Jeng Lake and it is arround by fields at the other three sides. Also, there is a pavilion which is located near the center of the lake. The water of Jung Jeng Lake reflects mountain and sky, this creates spectacular and beautiful scenery.

     The third tourist spot I would like to introduce is Zhong Li He museum. Mei-Nong can be seen a hometown of Zhong Li He, there were some famous writtings which he wrote when he was in Mei-Nong. In the museum, there are not only the collection of his great writtings but also the experience of his life. Zhong Li He symbolizes a great writer of Hakka. The museum even show the surroundings when he is writting.

Important Mei-Nong structures

     There are some important structures in Mei-Nong. Besides traditional and modern buildings which I have mentioned before, there still many important structures which represent Hakka culture. First, I would like to introduce temples. Temples can be seen everywhere. Some of them are big which are decorated solemn; some are small which are located just beside a tree. Hakka people are not monotheists. they believe in many gods because of health, work, examination, agriculture, and worshiping ancestors.

     Second is the structure of word worshipping. In the ancient time, Hakka people were impoverished by living in mountains. Becuase Hakka people immigrated Taiwan too late and most fertile lands were occupied by Han people, they had lived an hard life for a long time. In order to have better life, they make hopes on imperial examination. Hakka people would put books, papers which have words on them into word worshipping and burn them.

     Third, the other important structure which represent Mei-Nong is the tabacco building. Tabacco buildings are places which Hakka people manufacture tabacco and all of them are built above the roof. In addition, in 1975-1967 BC, tabacco planting area in Mei-Nong are the biggist in Taiwan. In other word, tabacco  was an important industry. But when I visited Mei-Nong, it took me a lot of time of looking for tabacco buildings. In 1987, the policy of opening foreign tabacco and wine which attack Mei-Nong tabacco industry. Tabacco industry has been declined and barely Hakka people use tabacco buildings. Tabacco buildings were much fewer than traditional soil buildings, most of them are either destructive by strong typhoon or abandoned.