From Takow to Kaohsiung

Xinpu (新埔) Township, Hsinchu County

Xinpu Township (新埔; Hakka: Sin-phu-tsun / Sin-bu-zhin; lit. "New Plain") was originally hunting grounds of Taokas (道卡斯) plains aborigines, whose name was transliterated as 吧哩嘓 (Hoklo: Palikok).

Han-Chinese immigration to this area was limited and unsystematic before the mid-18th century. This changed following flooding of Hsinchu in 1747, however, and settlers were encouraged to move into new areas including today's Xinpu.

Construction of the Fangliao irrigation channels (枋寮圳) in 1766 further increased its cultivztion potential. The name Xinpu was in used from at least the 1780s to indicate "新開發的河埔地" (newly developed river plains land).

埔 (Mdn. pu; "plain / flatland") is used in Hoklo Taiwanese po and Hakka phu where Mandarin is more likely to use 平原 . 埔 appears widely in place names in western Taiwan.



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