The area was occupied by native Taiwanese through the 19th Century with an economy strongly dependent upon hunting. In 1876 under Qing rule, the Chinese began to build bullock roads into the area. However it was not until the 1930s, during Japanese rule, that standardized roads began to be constructed. The first motor vehicle road was completed into Shitan in 1939, and regular bus service was started. However, by 1942 the bus service had ended because of fuel rationing.
Administrative divisions
The township comprises seven villages: Boshou, Fenglin, Hexing, Xindian, Xinfeng, Yongxing and Zhumu.
The Shitan Village Historic Museum preserves a Hakka dwelling from the Koxinga period.[7]
Other landmarks include Lingdong Temple, Shitan Presbyterian Church and Wenshui Old Street.
Local food specialities include Tea and Mesona chinensis (仙草), which is served as a hot, viscous drink, or curded and served over ice as a type of grass jelly.
^"Organization". Miaoli County Fire Bureau. Retrieved 21 September 2020. 1.14.4 Shihtan branch
^"Jurisdiction". Taiwan Miaoli District Prosecutors Office. 2010-06-08. Retrieved 21 September 2020. Shihtan Township,
^"Flower Updates". The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival. Retrieved 21 September 2020. Shihtan Township
^1.7-鄉鎮市區戶口數 [Population for Township and District]. Ministry of the Interior. August 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020. 獅潭鄉 Shihtan Township 79.4324 1,733 4,167 2,319 1,848 125.49 2.40 52
^財政窘迫缺稽查員 苗栗亂倒廢棄物頻傳 [Miaoli County has no resources against dumping]. Public Television Service. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2020. A great pile of trash was dumped near Route 26, a highway to Shihtan Township. In mid-July, someone dumped 20 tons of construction waste here, local residents are furious about this.{...}We are waiting to find out. In July, in other places like Shihtan Township, 50 tons of construction waste was dumped.
^106年一月份人口統計下載區 [January 2017 Population Statistic Downloads]. mlhr.miaoli.gov.tw (in Chinese). Miaoli County Government Household Registration Service. January 2017. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
