◆《History development》

Houbi Town was developed as early as the Ming-Cheng Period. In the east lies Chia Chie Village (Ben-Shie) where Ming-Cheng was established. It is the place where Ming-Cheng gave lands to military households and used them as agrarian colonies (tuntian). Shang Chia Dong and Hsia Chia Dong emerged as early as the Ming-Cheng Period. After the Ching Dynasty, the Han Chinese cultivated along Dao-Fong-Nei-Hai-Suo of Pachang Creek all the way up to Jishuei River (Driving Creek). Hsia Chia Dong is considered one of the development strongholds. According to Chulo Koanchi, (Topographical and Historical Descriptions of Chulo) commercial vessels gathered and loaded 5-grain goods to be transported by sea to Hsia Chia Dong.” At the time, a patrol point was setup in Hsia Chia Dong with 1 military officer (Ba-Tzung), and 85 infantrymen. Toward the end years of Kang-Shi, Hsia Chia Dong Street was setup inside Hsia Chia Dong Village. It was the place for military officers and civilians to render rentals and food supplies. With the rise of Dian-Zii-Kou Street (Baihe), Hsia Jia Dong Street gradually downgraded.
From the end of Ching Dynasty to the beginning of the Japanese colonial period, the development focus was shifted to Chin Liao. “Chin Liao Credit Cooperative” (Forerunner of Houbi Farmers’ Association) established in 1917 in Chin Liao is a typical example of which. Later, the Japanese setup Cross-island highway and cross-island railway that passed by Houbi Liao. During which time, 4 country gentries Huang Mo, Huang Dong, Huang Cheng Lung, and Huang Cheng De brothers believed Houbi Train Station to possess great development potentials. In 1924, they moved to the southern part of the station, setup “Huang Cheng Hsing Joint Venture Company”, and began business operation. Land cultivators along the seacoast were recruited to engage in land tillage. Houbi Station gradually developed and prospered. After Taiwan retrocession, the station and nearby areas formed a village and became the administrative center of Houbi Town.

Houbi Farmers’ Association  (Chin Liao Office) is the first  financial institution in Houbi Town.	Houbi Village was developed  by the Huangs. The picture  shows the old house of the  Huangs in Houbi-extracted.

◆《Religious practice of villagers》

In a typical rural village in Taiwan, there is at least one temple in the village. It is a place to enshrine traditional gods. The temples are collectively included as part of the large sacrificial offering circle. Houbi Town also follows similar pattern. Tai-An Temple is located in Hsia Jia Dong, which is the religious center of Houbi Town. It enshrines Matzu (Goddess of Sea). According to “She-Jiao-Lun-Liu-Chu-Shih Pillar” it states that The Tai-An Temple Matzu religious circle formed no later than the Tong-Zhi Period. Areas under control included Houbi, Bai He, and Hsin-Ying. The 36 villages had a common religious faith. Currently, this number increased to 60. The temples in existence were reconstructed in 1992, which cost over NT$130,000,000.
Other than traditional religious faith, foreign religions such as Christianity and Catholicism were also introduced in Houbi Town. Several churches were constructed, but as these religious practices faded, many of these churches are now left unused with church services are no longer held. Among the church architectures, “Hou Chin Liao Holy Cross Church” adjacent to Chin Liao Elementary School is the most famous of all. It was designed by German Pulitz Architecture Award Winner, Gottfried Bohm. The pyramid styled holy tenoke is the most eye-catching part of the architectural design. Legend has it that the design was inspired by hay heaps on local rice fields.