鹿耳春潮
清代臺灣八景最晚出現於康熙35年(1696年)高拱乾《臺灣府志》,分別為安平晚渡、沙鯤漁火、鹿耳春潮、鷄籠積雪、東溟曉日、西嶼落霞、澄臺觀海及斐亭聽濤。其中斐亭聽濤、澄臺觀海、安平晚渡、沙鯤漁火與鹿耳春潮,這五景不僅位於臺南,更呈現17世紀的臺江內海與府城之間的歷史重要意義與地形變遷。
「鹿耳春潮」指每年春夏季節更迭交替之際,臺江內海與臺灣海峽的浪潮於鹿耳門交會撞擊所激盪發出之濤濤音韻與海天波濤的勝景,其中尤以晨曦及落日時分最為美麗。
「鹿耳」即鹿耳門,因其沙洲地形狀似鹿的耳朵而得名,位於今臺南市安南區鹿耳門一帶,地理形勢險要而自古成為臺灣的門戶,又被稱為「鹿耳天險」,鄭成功開臺後更以鹿耳門取代大港,可見當時戰略位置之重要性。直到道光3年(1823年)的一場大風雨使曾文溪暴漲帶來泥沙淤積,環海沙洲與臺江海岸連接化為陸地,鹿耳門首當其衝,港口逐年淤塞,道光20年(1840年)以前變成廢港並失去港口與海防功能。
鹿耳門自清道光年間淤塞港口功能喪失後,歷經滄海桑田,被稱為天險之港道已為沙土掩埋成為陸地,今日樣貌已與過去清代詩人吟詠的景色截然不同,但已在府城歷史留下令人印象深刻的重要意義。
Historic Location: The Eight Views of Qing Dynasty Taiwan
Springtides at Luer
As described in “The Gazette of Taiwan Prefecture”, edited by Gao Gongqian in the 35th year of the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in Qing dynasty(1696 A.D.)at the latest, the “Eight Views of Taiwan” included “The Night Ferries of Anping Harbor”, “Fishingboat Lights of Shakun”, “Springtides at Luer”, “Snow in Jilong”, “Sunrise at Tungming”, “Sunset at Hsiyu”, “Watch the Sea at Chengtai”, and “The Crashing Tides of Feiting”. Five of these sights, specifically, “The Crashing Tides of Feiting”, “Watch the Sea at Chengtai”, “The Night Ferries of Anping Harbor”, “Fishingboat Lights of Shakun”, and “Springtides at Luer” were located in Tainan, underscoring the historic significance between the Taijiang Inner Sea and the Tainan Prefectural Seat in the 17th century, as well as topographical changes.
“Springtides at Luer” was a reference to the sounds of crashing waves and surging seas when the tides between Taijiang Inner Sea and Taiwan Bay collided at Luermen as the seasons change from Spring into Summer. The sight was especially beautiful at down and at dusk.
The sandbar of “Luer,” or Luermen, was named for its shape which resembles the ear of a deer. It is located near present-day Luermen in Anping District, Tainan City. Luer has historically been an important portal for Taiwan due to its strategic topography as a natural barrier. After Koxinga reclaimed Taiwan, he eschewed major ports for Luermen, indicating the strategic importance of Luermen. This lasted until 1823, when a major storm flooded the Cengwen River, causing silt and sedimentation that transformed the surrounding sandbar and created a land bridge to the coast of the Taijiang Inner Sea. This impacted Luermen the most. Its feature as a natural port was gradually blocked off over the years, until it was finally abandoned as a port and coastal defense in 1840.
Luermen experienced many vicissitudes after losing its function as a port due to sedimentation during the Qing Dynasty. The once natural strategic port was eventually buried under sand and soil and become solid ground. Once praised by Qing Dynasty poets, the scenic view of past times is no longer visible today. Nevertheless, Luermen has left a significant and indelible mark in the annals of Tainan.
Tainan City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau