View source for Beidou, Changhua

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| official_name                   = Beidou Township<br>北斗鎮
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = 
| settlement_type                 = [[Township (Taiwan)|Urban township]]
| image_skyline                   = Beidou Douyuan Rd.JPG
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = 
| image_map                       = BeidouTownship.png
| map_caption                     = Beidou Township in Changhua County
| pushpin_map                     = Taiwan
| coordinates                     = {{coord|23.8747|120.5248|region:TW-CHA|display=title,inline}}
| subdivision_type                = Location
| subdivision_type1               = 
| subdivision_name                = [[Changhua County]], [[Taiwan]]
| subdivision_name1               = 
| established_title               = 
| established_date                = 
| established_title2              = 
| established_date2               = 
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = Mayor
| leader_name                     = [[Yang Lih-siang]] (KMT)
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_sq_mi                = 
| area_total_km2                  = 19
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 
| area_land_km2                   = 
| area_water_sq_mi                = 
| area_water_km2                  = 
| area_urban_sq_mi                = 
| area_urban_km2                  = 
| area_metro_km2                  = 
| area_metro_sq_mi                = 
| population_as_of                = January 2023
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 33289
| population_urban                = 
| population_metro                = 
| population_density_sq_mi        = 
| population_density_km2          = auto
| timezone                        = 
| utc_offset                      = 
| timezone_DST                    = 
| utc_offset_DST                  = 
| elevation_footnotes             = 
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| elevation_m                     = 
| website                         = {{official URL}} {{in lang|zh}}
| footnotes                       = 
| name                            = 
| other_name                      = Hokuto
}}
[[File:北斗農村風光 - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Farm fields in Beidou Township]]
'''Beidou Township''' ({{zh|c=北斗鎮|p=Běidǒu Zhèn|poj=Pak-táu-tìn}}) is an [[Township (Taiwan)|urban township]] in [[Changhua County]], [[Taiwan]].

==History==
Beidou was previously known as '''Po-tau''' (寶斗; {{zh|poj=Pó-táu}}), a harbor on the branch of Zhuoshui River and engaged trading with mainland China. As the harbor was an important site of southern Changhua County in the late [[Taiwan under Qing rule|Qing era]], the town was surrounded by fences and had defensive walls. In 1738, the first downtown street named Shezi Village was built in the southern bank of Dongluo River. In 1806, houses and fields along the downtown streets were all ruined due to the battle between immigrants from [[Zhangzhou]] and [[Quanzhou]]. In 1821, Shezi Village was rebuilt in the Baodou Village at the riverside.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peitou.gov.tw/peitou/english/content/index.php?m2=55|title=Beidou Township Office - Welcome to Beidou  - History|work=peitou.gov.tw|access-date=2015-02-24|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025504/http://www.peitou.gov.tw/peitou/english/content/index.php?m2=55|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==
It is located in an alluvial plain in the southeast part of the county. With an area of 19.2547 square kilometers, it is the second smallest township in the county after [[Xianxi, Changhua|Xianxi Township]]. As of January 2023, its population was 33,289, including 16,654 males and 16,635 females.<ref>{{cite web
 | url =http://accounting.chcg.gov.tw/07static/static01_con.asp?bull_id=239488
 | script-title =zh:統計資料 {{!}} 一月 {{!}} 表四
 | language =zh
 | trans-title =Statistics{{!}}January{{!}}Table 4
 | date =10 February 2017
 | website =accounting.chcg.gov.tw
 | publisher =Changhua County Government
 | access-date =11 February 2017
 | archive-date =19 November 2021
 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20211119093740/http://accounting.chcg.gov.tw/07static/static01_con.asp?bull_id=239488
 | url-status =dead
 }}</ref>

==Administrative divisions==
The township comprises 15 villages: Dadao, Daxin, Guangfu, Juren, Qixing, Tungguang, Wenchang, Wuquan, Xian, Xide, Xinsheng, Xinzheng, Zhonghe, Zhongliao and Zhongqing.

==Economy==
It is famous for [[ba-wan]], a popular Taiwanese food item that was invented in the township.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewslens.com/article/36430|title=【插畫】超愛吃肉圓的你，可知台灣肉圓之父是誰、發源處在哪裡嗎？|work=thenewslens.com}}</ref>

==Tourist attractions==
* [[Dian'an Temple]]
* [[Beidou Old Street]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tourism.chcg.gov.tw/EN/hopSpotInfo.aspx?id=376&chk=1ae17cdb-9062-45f0-a336-952858bc46f5|title=Beidou Old Street -  - Attractions - Travel in Changhua County|work=chcg.gov.tw}}</ref>
* [[Beidou Riverside Park]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tourism.chcg.gov.tw/en/hopSpotInfo.aspx?id=488&chk=69b29668-9f90-4ac6-924e-06b60e2147bd|title=Beidou Riverside Park -  - Attractions - Travel in Changhua County|work=chcg.gov.tw}}</ref>

==Notable people==
Gie-Ming Lin, the father of basketball player [[Jeremy Lin]], grew up in Beidou.<ref>{{cite news |title= Tight-Knit Family Shares Lin’s Achievement |author= Sam Borden |author2= Keith Bradsher |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/sports/basketball/tight-knit-family-shares-lins-achievement.html?_r=1 |newspaper= The New York Times |date= February 25, 2012 |access-date= March 7, 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Beidou Township, Changhua}}

{{Taiwan Changhua divisions}}
{{Townships in Taiwan}}

[[Category:Townships in Changhua County]]