The Nantou County Cultural Heritage Association has discovered artifacts that have been kept at Ailan Presbyterian Church in Nantou County’s Puli Township (埔里) for more than a century.
Established in 1871, the church in Ailan Borough (愛蘭) is the oldest in Puli.
It was one of the first churches to be established in Taiwan after Christian missionaries arrived in 1865, pastor Chen Ching-en (陳清恩) said.
Photo courtesy of Liang Chih-chung
At the time, the area was inhabited by the Pazeh people, and church data show that in late December 1871, the entire community converted to Christianity, he said.
Among the artifacts preserved by the church is an account of the donations it received from 1910 to 1913, said association chairman Liang Chih-chung (梁志忠), who discovered them while surveying religious establishments.
Parishioners made donations to repair the church, which was called Wuniulan Chapel (烏牛欄禮拜堂) at the time, he said.
Photo: Chen Feng-li, Taipei Times
The records show that many Pazeh people were surnamed Pan (潘), and some had names as long as five or six characters, he said.
In the church’s possession is also a passbook that tracked funds donated by parishioners toward the construction of new buildings, he said.
By 1949, the church had saved more than 200,000 Old Taiwan dollars, he said, adding that it withdrew 80,000 dollars on June 13, 1949, leaving 120,000 dollars in the account.
However, just two days later, the passbook was stamped with words indicating that every 40,000 Old Taiwan dollars would be exchanged for NT$1, turning the church’s savings into NT$3, he said.
The passbook is a witness to the history of rapid devaluation of the Old Taiwan dollar after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government issued the New Taiwan dollar, he said.
When the church was established, Taiwanese society valued men more than women, and women’s level of education was generally low, Chen said.
However, many Pazeh women in the area attended Chang Jung Girls’ High School in Tainan and many returned to teach at Ailan Elementary School upon graduation, he added.
This story has been amended since it was first published to correct the dates.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS