Dongshi District

Dongshi District
東勢區
District

Dongshi District in Taichung City
Country  Republic of China
Special municipality Taichung
Established (District) 2010
Area
  Total 117.4065 km2 (45.3309 sq mi)
Population (December 2014)
  Total 51,485
  Density 440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone CST (UTC+8)
Website Dongshi District
Dongshi District office
Dongshi District library

Dongshi District (Chinese: 東勢區; pinyin: Dōngshì Qū; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Tûng-sṳ) is a suburban district in eastern Taichung, Republic of China (Taiwan). It is the third largest district in Taichung City after Heping District and Taiping District. A majority of the residents are of Hakka ethnicity, making it an enclave in an otherwise non-Hakka county. Its Hakka dialect is very distinct compared to the dialects of other counties.

Geography

Buildings in Dongshi were severely damaged by Chi-Chi earthquake in 1999.

Dongshi is situated on a narrow, north-south oriented plain, flanked by the Da Jia River to the west and a mountain ridge to the east. It is this sense of being pressed up against that ridge, at the easternmost edge of the large west-central plain, that gives the town its name. Its elevation ranges from about 330 meters along the Dajia River to 1201 meters in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range.

The township is bounded by (clockwise from the north) Zhuolan Township (Miaoli County), Heping Rural Township, Xinshe Rural Township, Shigang Rural Township, Fengyuan City, Houli Rural Township, and Sanyi Rural Township (Miaoli County).

Administrative divisions

Beixing Village, Zhongning Village, Tungan Village, Nanping Village, Yanping Village, Shangxin Village, Guangxing Village, Taichang Village, Zhongke Village, Fulong Village, Longxing Village, Xincheng Village, Yifu Village, Shangcheng Village, Xiacheng Village, Qingtung Village, Qingfu Village, Tungxin Village, Yuening Village, Xiaxin Village, Xinglong Village, Maoxing Village, Taixing Village, Beitou Village, Mingzheng Village.[1]

Famous Features

Dongshi includes some greenspace and significant farmland; largely orchards. Dongshi is known for its pears, which are large and almost spherical with a thin, light yellowish-brown rugose skin. In a good year, their flavor is excellent. Intensive topwork at the start of each season involves grafting Japanese pear bud slips to the tree stock.

The old train station has been converted into the Dongshih Hakka Cultural Park. Historical Hakka cultural artifacts along with modern works of art are on display. This area also marks the southern terminus of the Dongshih-Fongyuan Bicycle Greenway (東豐自行車綠廊.) This greenway was converted from a former railway track. The town is also noted for two large forest parks in the mountainous eastern parts of the county. Dongshi Forest Park (東勢林場) and Sijiaolin (四角林林場) are managed by the Changhua County and Taichung City Agricultural Committees respectively.

Native products

Tourist attractions

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dongshi District, Taichung.

References

Coordinates: 24°15′31.3″N 120°49′41.4″E / 24.258694°N 120.828167°E