From Takow to Kaohsiung

Muzha (木栅), Wenshan District, Taipei City

Muzha (木栅; Hoklo: Bak-sa; lit. "Wooden Fence") is in Wenshan (文山) District, Taipei City. As the name suggests, it derives from the wooden barriers constructed to defend immigrant Han-Chinese from local aborigines who wanted their lands back (see similarly Zhuwei (竹圍); "Bamboo Encirlements"), Tuniu (土牛; "Earthen Cattle"), Shipai (石牌; "Stone Markers") and so forth.

These original inhabitants included the Plains Aboriginal 霧裡薛社 (Mdn. Wulixue Community; Hoklo: Bulisih), which later gave its name to the Bulisihtsun (霧裡薛圳) irrigation channels that brought water to this area facilitating its agricultural development.

After retrocession to ROC rule in 1945, both Muzha and Jingmei (景美) became districts of Taipei City, before being merged in 1990 to create today's Wenshan District.



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