There was a drought in southern Fukien during the Ch'ung-chen era (1628 to 1644) of the Ming dynasty, and the government announced a Three Person, One Buffalo policy. Anyone who emigrated to Taiwan to open up new land was given three taels of silver, and every three of them received a water buffalo.
明崇禎年間，閩南起大旱，地方父母官便頒佈「三人一牛」政策，每人給銀三兩，三人再給牛一頭，大夥一起到台灣開創新天地。