From Takow to Kaohsiung

Sanmin (三民) District, Kaohsiung City

Like many streets, villages and other places throughout Taiwan, Kaohsiung’s Sanmin (三民; lit. “Three People(s)”) is an abbreviated form of Sanmin Zhuyi (三民主義; the “Three Principles of the People”), the political philospohy espoused by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) and later promoted in Taiwan by the KMT-led ROC government, particularly in the period before the first hand-over of presidential and central government power to an opposition party in 2000 (for more details, see San Min Zhuyi).

But Sanmin District in Kaohsiung has a somewhat older pedigree. From the 17th century until arrival of the KMT in the middle of the 20th century, its “three peoples” were the Wang (王), Tsai (蔡) and Zheng (鄭; often romanized as Cheng) families who had first immigrated to this area and built their homes here, for which it had been known for more than 300 years as 三塊厝 (Hoklo Sam-de-tsu; Mdn. Sankuaicuo ; lit. “Three Houses”).

In the postwar period, in order to “create a model district of the Three Principles of the People”, Sankuaicuo was combined with 6 neighboring areas to create Sanmin Township (now District). According to Wikipedia, these others were 大港 (lit. “Great Harbor”), 灣子內 (lit. “Within the Bay”), 寶珠溝 (lit. “Precious Bead Ditch”), 獅頭 (lit. “Lion’s Head”), 本館 (lit. “Original Mansion”) and 覆鼎金(lit. “Covered Tripod Gold”).



There was also a Sanmin Township (三民鄉) in Kaohsiung County (which merged with Kaohsiung City in 2010) but in 2008, after a campaign by its residents, most of whom are Bunun (布農), Kanakanavu (卡那卡那富), Hla’alua (拉阿魯哇; formerly considered a subgroup of Tsou 鄒) and Paiwan (排灣) aboringines, this “overly political’ name was changed to Namasiya (那瑪夏; see here).



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