Taiwan Mandarin ！

Quick answer: Where is Lukang (鹿港) and what is it known for? A small town in Changhua that used to be an important port and is now known for its old streets, old houses and a famous temple.

一句話簡介

台灣有一個小鎮，叫做鹿港。它在彰化，不在台北。

文章 The Text

台灣有一個小鎮，叫做鹿港。它在彰化，不在台北。

以前，鹿港是一個很重要的港口。很多船會來這裡，做生意的人也很多。那個時候，鹿港很熱鬧，也很有錢。

現在，鹿港沒有以前那麼熱鬧了。但是這裡還有很多老街、老房子，也有很有名的廟。很多觀光客會來這裡走走，拍拍照，吃小吃。

我第一次來鹿港的時候，覺得這裡跟台北很不一樣。這裡比較安靜，走路也比較慢。

我很喜歡這種感覺。

單字 The Words

中文	Pinyin	English
小鎮	xiǎo zhèn	small town
港口	gǎng kǒu	port, harbor
以前	yǐ qián	in the past, before
做生意	zuò shēng yì	to do business
熱鬧	rè nào	lively, bustling
老街	lǎo jiē	old street
有名	yǒu míng	famous
觀光客	guān guāng kè	tourist
安靜	ān jìng	quiet
感覺	gǎn jué	feeling

翻譯 The Translation

There’s a small town in Taiwan called Lukang. It’s in Changhua, not Taipei.

In the past, Lukang was a very important port. Lots of boats came here, and lots of people did business. Back then, Lukang was lively and prosperous.

Now, Lukang isn’t as lively as before. But there are still many old streets, old houses, and a very famous temple here. Lots of tourists come to walk around, take photos, and eat street snacks.

The first time I came to Lukang, I felt like it was really different from Taipei. It’s quieter here, and people walk more slowly.

I really like that feeling.

Notice This

• 以前…現在… — This “before / now” contrast (以前很熱鬧，現在沒有那麼熱鬧) is a super common way to talk about change in Mandarin.
• 沒有那麼 + adjective — 沒有以前那麼熱鬧 = “not as lively as before.” This is the natural way to say “not as ___ as,” way more common in speech than a direct comparison word.
• 鹿港, not 麗江 — Lukang is a completely different, Taiwan-specific kind of old town from mainland old towns like Lijiang or Pingyao — same idea (old port town, old streets) but its own history, its own culture.

Try It Yourself

用「以前…，現在…」寫一句話，介紹一個你去過的地方。

Try writing one sentence using “before… now…” to describe a place you’ve visited.