Jungong Road’s ancient name “Jungong Keng” forgotten

Following the completion of Zhuangjing Tunnel (莊敬隧道) in the 1960s, Taipei’s Jungong Road (軍功路) was named using the ancient local place name “Jungong Keng (軍功坑),” which stretches back all the way to the Qing dynasty. The two words “Jung-Gong (軍功)” refer to the collection of military shipbuilding timber - the area’s military factory was responsible for the procurement and collection of military materials.

Military craftsmen were the first to arrive in the area known today as Junggong Keng in Muzha (木柵), where valuable Camphor trees were extracted; it was around this period of time that the place was named Jungong – “Army Work.” This historical period had a strong relationship with Taiwan’s development, and maps from around the time of Japan’s occupation of Taiwan as well as modern Google maps, both clearly display the place name “Jungong Keng,” making it a very significant historical reference point. 

Bojia Village (博嘉里) representative Zhang Miao-wen (長張妙) pointed out that the renaming issue was a focal point in the area as far back as 1997. However, it was not until this year that a petition to change the local name succeeded in amassing 80% of local names along the route – this petition supported changing the name to Hepingdong Road, Section 4 (和平東路四段). Perhaps it was the passing of time and a change in the local population structure that affected the success of this application to change the local name. Residents have chosen to abandon a familiar local road name and opt for entering the city’s matrix, extending a well-known city road name into the suburbs.

The main goal of the change is to make the area easier to find and increase its discernibility, hence providing a complete and consistent road name that will stimulate local development; however, with mixed local opinions, whether the name change will be a success remains to be seen.

There is no doubt, however, that locals are becoming ever more unfamiliar with “Jungong Keng,’ the area’s ancient local name, and the vast majority are unaware of its historical significance.  Changing the area’s maps, road signs and house plates to the new name will undoubtedly further hasten the fading of “Jungong Keng,” threatening the loss of an historically significant ancient place name forever.   

Jungong Road’s ancient name “Jungong Keng” forgotten

URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/243029

(以下是中文對照)

軍功路更名 勿忘“軍功坑”古地名

台北市軍功路的路名由來，是在民國60年代莊敬隧道完工後，利用當地的古地名”軍功坑”命名，而”軍功坑”係自清代流傳至今，源自軍工二字，為採集軍事造船木料，由軍工廠負責採購、蒐集軍工料，由軍工匠首負責至現在木柵軍功坑一帶開採樟木，後來才命名為軍功。這段歷史與當時台灣發展的背景有極大的關係，在日治時期的台灣堡圖與現代google map也都能看到軍功坑的名稱現身在地圖上，可見是極具歷史性。

當地博嘉里里長張妙文指出，更名議題早在民國86年便提出，直到今年才以高達八成沿線居民聯署通過更名(改名為和平東路四段)，或許是時空背景與人口結構的轉變，才促成這次更名案通過。居民選擇向孰悉的路名告別，將都市中棋盤路網的路名一路延伸至市郊，主要目的是希望能讓人更好找路、提高識別度、讓道路有完整、一致性的路名，至於能否帶動發展，居民看法不一，需時間觀察。

在地居民對”軍功坑”這個古地名日漸陌生，也幾乎無人知道地名的由來，過去軍功是路名、社區名、公車站名，但現在重要的路名被置換後，軍功一名將從地圖、路牌、門牌上消失，幅度之大，可能會更加深這個古地名被淡忘的危機。