Wanjin Catholic Church Introduction
Wanjin Catholic Church was established in 1861 when Father Francisco Garnica of the Spanish Dominican Order came to Taiwan and began constructing the first earthen church in 1863. During this period, several incidents occurred, including fires and earthquakes that damaged or destroyed the church. In 1869, with the support of local parishioners, Father Liang Fangji purchased a piece of forest land and built the Wanjin Mother of God Shrine in the style of a Spanish fortress. The materials used for the construction of the shrine primarily included lime, gravel, kapok, fire bricks, brown sugar, and honey, with no steel reinforcements in sight; however, the main structure was incredibly solid. The front features a twin-tower church resembling Spanish fortifications, with a gable wall that includes a traditional horse-back motif, upon which a cross is raised, and decorated below with a crown and the emblem of the Dominican Order. Inside the shrine, the ceiling murals, sculptures on both sides, the rear loft, pulpit, and the Mother of God sedan are made of wood, merging both Eastern Chinese and Western Gothic styles. In 1874, during an inspection of the southern region by Qing Dynasty official Shen Baozhen, he visited the Wanjin Mother of God Shrine and witnessed the harmony and unity of the local residents and worshippers, believing that religion has the power to nurture morality and eliminate ethnic divisions. He subsequently petitioned the Tongzhi Emperor to grant permission and provided a "Holy Stone" for the church, which was affixed above the entrance, leading government troops passing by to pay specific respects. The appearance of the Wanjin Mother of God Shrine has gone through several renovations to achieve its current style, for instance, the original horse-back motif changed to a mountain peak, the bell tower was rebuilt in the center of the gable, the parapet transformed from a cross-lattice style to a railing type, the internal wooden framework replaced with reinforced concrete, the ceiling was adorned with traditional Chinese decorative paintings, and the pillars painted a distinctive red. Understanding the reconstruction process of Wanjin Catholic Church is akin to witnessing the history of the spread of religion in the East, as the church faced numerous challenges and acts of hostility during its missionary efforts in Taiwan, resulting in a cycle of destruction and rebuilding. In 1984, Pope John Paul II designated the Wanjin Mother of God Shrine as a "Pontifical Shrine," and in the same year, the Ministry of the Interior approved it as Cultural Heritage No. 3, Level 3, of Pingtung County, continuing the mission of preserving its historical significance.
