Lugang (all images)

Lugang (鹿港 in Chinese, aka Lukang) is a small city on Taiwan's west coast, located 150km southwest of Taipei. Lugang is interesting due to its historic centre, which is well preserved and contains many old buildings and temples, many dating back to the 18th century. The city dates back to the 17th century, when the Dutch established a trading centre in the west of Taiwan. Lugang grew as a harbour city, attracting settlers from mainland China. In the 19th century silt deposits began to block the harbour and subsequently the harbour of Lugang was closed. In addition, Lugang refused in the early 20th century to allow trains and modern highways to be built near their city. As a consequence the city declined, but its historic core survived almost untouched.