Neimen the Rural Township of Folk Culture/內門民俗文化之都
Located in the northeast of Kaohsiung County, Neimen is famous for its folk culture--with a population of less than 20 thousand, this rural township has more than forty folk performance troupes. Neimen's "Sung Chiang chen (a type of martial arts displays)" is well-known islandwide; in addition, many chefs for "roadside wedding banquets" learned their cooking skills here.
To get to Neimen from Kaohsiung City, go along the Southern Second Freeway to Chishan and follow the Provincial Highway #3 from there. Chishan and Neimen areas were once called "Arhats Arch," which was further divided into inner and outer parts. The "Inner Village of Arhats Arch" is today's Neimen Township.
Once the home of the notables
Two historic figures once lived here: Shen Kuang-wen and Chu Yi-kuei. Shen, a scholar of Ming Dynasty, came to Taiwan to escape slanders; Cheng Cheng-kung treated him with high respect. While living in Neimen, Shen educated indigenous children and helped people by practicing medicine. He was also the first person that preserved Taiwan documents.
The other famous person once living here was "Duck King" Chu Yi-kuei, who got the by-name because, during the reign of Kang Hsi Emperor in the Ching Dynasty, he raised ducks for a living in the present Kuanghsing Village of Neimen.
To know Neimen is to know its temples
The two large famous temples in Neimen are "Neimen Tzi Chu (black bamboo) Temple" and "Nanhai Tzi Chu Temple." The former was built more than 300 years ago; an annual festival will be held there on Buddha's birthday (February 19 on the lunar calendar). These two temples are centers of faith for locals and major places where folk performances are taught and handed down to the next generation.
Distinctive landscapes
The special local landscape scenes are seven mounds in the shape of the Big Dipper, which were, according to legend, caused by seven shooting stars falling to the ground. In addition, because Neimen is adjacent to Tienliao, Moon World's lunar landscape of sharp-peaked hills with saw-toothed ridges can be seen in Neimen too.
位於高雄縣東北方的內門鄉，是台灣傳佛講學最早的地方，全鄉人口不到２萬人，卻擁有40多個民俗藝陣，尤其「內門宋江陣」更是全國大大的有名，堪稱是民俗文化之鄉，這裡還是培育「黑松大飯店」總舖師的大本營。
從高雄市區到內門可走南二高，到旗山鎮再轉接台三線就可抵達，交通尚稱便利，旗山鎮與內門鄉一帶昔日都稱為「羅漢門」，羅漢門又有內、外之分，在內門鄉嶺頂有一天然石門，以北稱「羅漢內門庄」，即今內門鄉一帶。
朱一貴、沈光文曾在此隱居
早在明鄭時期以前，就有布農族、魯凱族等原住民在此活動，至清康熙年間，再遇漢人入墾。曾有兩位歷史人物在此隱居，最著名的是明太學士沈光文，他為了躲避讒言，在明永歷6年（西元1651年）由金門搭船到泉州，結果因遇到颱風而漂泊到台灣，流寓台灣30年，鄭成功頗為禮遇他，但沈光文不滿鄭經軍政不振，以賦寓諷，幾遭不測，後來變服為僧入羅漢門隱居，沈光文落腳此地後，開始教育山中番童，又往返山間行醫救人，不但擔負文化拓荒大任，且完成很多著作，是從事台灣文獻的第一人。
另一位大名鼎鼎的人物，就是「鴨母王」朱一貴，內門鄉光興村鴨母寮即為朱一貴的發跡處。
了解內門從「宗廟」著手
要了解內門的人文風貌，就要先從宗廟開始，「內門紫竹寺」和「南海紫竹寺」為境內兩大頗負盛名的廟宇，內門紫竹寺建廟迄今已歷經三百多年，清乾隆７年水師提督吳必達路過此地入寺膜拜，並賜「紫竹生春」匾額而稱之，每年農曆２月19日、6月19日和9月19日均有祭典，尤以２月19日佛祖誕辰最為盛大。
廟會要熱鬧，有賴民俗藝陣鑼鼓喧天「炒作」，由於內門鄉民生活純樸，兩座紫竹寺不僅為鄉民的信仰中心，也是教授傳統技藝的重地，不到2萬人口的內門，光是宋江陣、七里響、桃花過渡、南北管、太平歌清唱、舞龍舞獅、國術表演等民俗陣頭，就多達４０多個，村民平日聚集在廟前廣場表演相互觀摩，代代相傳。
「七星墜地、雁門煙雨」景觀獨特
內門較為獨特的旅遊景觀，當屬位於觀亭村北方台三線旁的「七星墜地」，相傳為天上墜下７顆流星，散落在方圓２、３平方公里的地上，形成７個小土堆，其排列形狀有如天上的北斗七星，地方視為神蹟，民國５０年間鳩資興建七星塔；另外內門與田寮月世界相毗鄰，延續的惡地形形成「雁門煙雨」景觀，岩壁上凸出的土指，狀如布袋戲尪仔上天的景象，因此俗稱「惡地形尪仔上天」，並列為「台陽八景」之一。