■ Historical landmark
Century-old Waterwheel
In 1845, the Chen family built the waterwheel because their farmland was higher than the waterway. This is the only bamboo-tube waterwheel still in use in Taiwan. Because the waterwheel is located in a relatively secret place and cannot be reached by car, it takes a short walk in the fields to see it, and the waterwheel has been preserved to this day. The local Hakka villagers cherish this century-old waterwheel very much. Therefore, they asked the waterwheel master Chen Huanxiang to lead the villagers to repair it in 2008. Not only did the century-old waterwheel reappear, but it also inherited the traditional skills of waterwheel repair. To preserve this waterwheel with agricultural and cultural value, residents built fences around the waterwheel for protection, and regularly trim vines nearby to ensure that the waterwheel runs smoothly.
Century-old Waterwheel
Jin Jiantang
Jin Jiantang was built in 1908 by Zhang Wanshi, the grandfather of Zhang Diwen, who owns the property now. Zhang Wanshi lived in Xionglin and practiced in Zhudong as a medical doctor. Later he went to Beipu to practice and bought this land in Nanpu to build a house. The house was designed and built by his son Zhang Huanyuan, and the name of this property and the plaque in the front of the hall are his own handwritings.
Pai-fen Bridge
Originally named Nanpu Bridge, the Pai-fen(or one hundred points)Bridge was built in 1925, and was originally a suspension bridge. In 1966, it was damaged by a typhoon and was reconstructed, becoming a cement bridge. In 1998, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Beipu Elementary School, it was rebuilt with steel. The shape of the side is similar to the red 100 points written by the teacher after correcting the exam papers. Therefore, it is also called Baifenqiao in Chinese, and now it has become an important landmark for tourists to pray for completion and exam takers for full score on the exam.
Nanpu Canal
It was built in 1845 during the Daoguang Period of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 170 years. To increase the irrigating area, Jin Guangfu and the Jiang family funded the construction of the Nanpu Canal, which stretches for several kilometers. Holes were drilled four kilometers away to attract cold spring water, which greatly increased crop yields and provided important water sources for local residents' daily lives.
However, due to serious siltation, the irrigation function of the canal was affected. Later, after meeting with the villagers and a young village chief, a consensus was reached: "If they hope for continuous development in Nanpu, renovation of the canal is needed."
The water source of Nanpu Canal is the pollution-free Daping River, which allows for organic farming in the community. The goal of community reconstructed can be reached. As a result, the villagers chose ecological construction methods that were more labor-intensive and time-consuming for renovation. Together, they moved forward toward friendly land and friendly environment.
Washing kiosk
Nanpu Canal flows into the village, and villagers often gather here to do the laundry. For many years, there were only washboards on the canal, and there were no kiosks for shelter from the sun and rain. The idea of building a washing kiosk in the community came about in 2007. Villagers voluntarily conceived of how the kiosk would be and were involved in the designing process. Everyone worked hard together and adopted ancient construction methods from the old days. Therefore, the two kiosks were also named Tongxin Kiosk and Xieli Kiosk (meaning working together in Chinese). Now it has become a good place for Nanpu villagers to chat and hang out. Sitting in the washing kiosk, in addition to the clear water flow from Nanpu Canal, you can also see sapindus falling from a tree beside it. It is the cleanser of nature. After rubbing it in your hands, it foams and you are able to clean dirt. Beside the rocks, several boards are placed horizontally on top, which are used to block the water flow and control the water level. Also, you can pull the board up and down quickly several times and fallen leaves in the stream would flow down quickly, solving the problem of cleaning fallen leaves before doing the laundry. It is a very interesting and clever practice.