Madou Dist.

Madou District is the center of pomelo growing. When pomelo flowers begin to blossom every March to April, following the fragrance, visitors will see a simple farm behind the lane. Juyuan Leisure Farm is both a pomelo orchid and a bakery located in a mythical spacious pomelo orchid in Madou. The kilned bread is the adept skill of the owner. After serving bread with coffee, visitors can get some sunshine on the corridor outside the orchid building while enjoying the fragrance of pomelo and the scent of the soil of Madou. Visitors may also get closer to the pomelo trees. What a great joy!

Due to economic and political power, the prestige of the “Lins of Madou”, the “Lins of Wufeng in Taichung”, and the “Lins of Banqiao in Taipei” were collectively called the “Three Lin Families of Taiwan”. Due to separation, succession, the land value escalation after urban development, the seven deluxe dwellings built in the Qing dynasty were demolished and reconstructed due to the different thoughts of their owners. The “Xin Sifang Cuo” was one of the buildings demolished in earlier times.

The Madou Culture Museum opened in 2001 was built under the “one town one culture museum” policy promoted by the Council of Cutlural Affairs (now Ministry of Culture). So far, it is the best exhibitoin and performing space in Madou. In addition to various artefacts relating to Madou’s culture, the museum displays artworks. Artists and history and culture workers often meet and exchange here, making the museum meeting place of scholars and artists in Madou area.

Madou Old Port Cultural Park (蔴荳古港園區) is one of Madou’s most famous areas, and according to legend it was a dragon lair and the birthplace of the Emperor. Locals deeply believed here is also a place which locals view as a getaway paradise. In Fengshui, the location here is an auspicious land named shuijuetou (水崛頭), usually where has water surrounded the land (represented at dragon throat area). Setting aside its mythical stories, in the early days of Madou District it was made up of an inland sea and came to be known as Daofeng Inland Sea (倒風內海).

In the little forest, the orange and yellow Torii gates (鳥居) are very eye-catching in a neat row under the shade of the trees. Pass through the Torii gates and into the shade of the forest. To the right is a neat lawn, nice and cool thanks to the cover of the large trees. The shadow of the trees is cast onto the green grass like a tattoo, painting a vivid scene.

Madou Datian Temple (麻豆代天府) is dedicated to the Five Kings (Wufu qiansui), and was built over a period of 10 years by a collaboration of nationally famous artisans, starting in 1956. The scale of the building is grand, and it has the first three-dimensional door god sculpture in the country entirely carved out of camphor wood.