Lushin Wadanz Memorial Park Introduction
Located beside the Roma Highway, the Lexin Wadan Memorial Park features a nostalgic photo wall at the entrance that documents the achievements of Lexin Wadan. As you enter the park and climb the wooden observation tower, you can take in the beautiful surroundings, with a clear blue sky dotted with a few white clouds. In the spring, the cherry blossoms along the path bloom, and during the season when millet is ripe, vast golden fields of millet sway in the wind, creating a stunning contrast with the blue sky. However, despite the beauty of the scenery, the park hides a sorrowful story. Lexin Wadan was a leader of the Atayal people and one of the first members of the Atayal tribe to receive modern medical education, graduating from the predecessor of National Taiwan University College of Medicine—the Taihoku Medical School under the Governor-General of Taiwan. He served as a public physician for the Governor-General’s office and practiced medicine in Atayal villages under the name Dr. Tsutae Watanabe, promoting medical concepts and acting as a mediator between the Japanese and the Atayal people. After Taiwan’s restoration, Lexin Wadan changed his name to Lin Ruichang and was elected as a member of the first Taiwan Provincial Interim Assembly, actively advocating for the rights of his people. Unfortunately, he became a political victim during the White Terror period, which led future generations to build this park in memory of this great Atayal leader.
