| Yingge District 鶯歌區 |
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|---|---|
| — District — | |
| Stores along Yingge's Pottery Street (Yingge Old Street) | |
| Location of Yingge in New Taipei City | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Special municipality | New Taipei |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hong Chien-wen (洪見文) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 21.1248 km2 (8.2 sq mi) |
| Population (October 2010) | |
| • Total | 86,677 |
| • Density | 4,103.1/km2 (10,627/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 239 |
| Area code(s) | 02 |
| Website | www.yingge.tpc.gov.tw |
Yingge District (Chinese: 鶯歌區; pinyin: Yīnggē Qū; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Eng-ko-khu; literally "oriole song township") is a urban district located on the Dahan River in southwestern New Taipei City in northern Republic of China (Taiwan).[1] It is famous for the production of porcelain and an abundance of art studios and shops.
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On the northern side of Yingge lies a formation that went by the names of 鸚哥石 (Parrot Stone), 鷹哥石 (Eagle Brother Stone), and 鶯哥石 (Golden oriole or Warbler Brother Stone). The last stone is where the current name of the district derives from.[2] The modern name "Yingge" (鶯歌) literally means "Warbler Song" in Chinese.
According to legend, the rock formation produced a miasma that disoriented, sickened, and sometimes killed passers-by. One day, General Koxinga led his army past the rock. When they were caught in the miasma, he ordered his cannon to fire against the rock. When the neck of the stone eagle was broken, the miasma lifted and the troops could continue on their march.
According to legend, by 1684, the Yingge area already had Hakka migrants who specialized in cultivating tea.[2] According to the locals, the history of ceramics in Yingge began 200 years ago when Wu An (吳鞍) immigrated from Guangzhou to Yingge to become the first potter in the area. Later, Chen Kun (陳昆), a brick maker, moved to the area and the two strived to make Yingge into the center of Taiwan's ceramics industry.[3]
In 1920, Yingge Stone Village (鶯歌石庄) was renamed to Yingge Village (鶯歌庄). In 1940, the village was promoted to Yingge Street (鶯歌街), and in 1945 was changed to Yingge Small Town (鶯歌鎮).[2] Today, Yingge is the largest center for ceramic production in Taiwan, with over 800 ceramic-related businesses in the area.
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