E Hua City — City of Radical Thought

A century ago, waves of new ideas rose here.

People debated equality, autonomy, knowledge, and the future of this land.

What some once called “dangerous” or “subversive” began to spread, until E Hua Shi became a synonym for bold, transformative thought.

During the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan, Changhua became a cradle of emerging ideas and civic consciousness. Here, local scholars and community groups began advocating for equality, education, and self-awareness among the people.

To the colonial authorities, however, such activism made governance difficult. They accused these movements of spreading “corrupting ideas”(惡化思想)—and thus branded Changhua as a “city of ideological deterioration.”（思想惡化之地）

Yet the people of Changhua embraced the label with pride. What was meant as an insult became a mark of defiance and enlightenment. They began calling themselves citizens of E Hua Shi（惡化市民）, the City of Radical Thought—a name that still echoes the courage to question, to think, and to change.

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