Tongpu Liuqiu Cemetery Introduction
The Tongpu Ryukyu Civilian Cemetery, also known as the Ryukyu Fiefdom Cemetery, was established in 1871 (the 10th year of the Qing Tongzhi era). That year, two ships traveling to Naha for tribute encountered a typhoon on their return journey and were stranded at Bayao Bay in Hengchun. A total of 66 crew members landed to seek refuge but inadvertently trespassed into indigenous territory, leading to serious conflicts with the local Paiwan people due to language barriers. Among them, 54 Ryukyu people were brutally killed and later buried in Tongpu Village. Initially, the Tongpu Ryukyu Civilian Cemetery did not have a tombstone. In 1874, the Japanese, under the pretext of residents being killed, landed in Pingtung at Gaosiboshe, Mudanshe, and Nuying She, engaging in fierce battles with the indigenous people (known as the Mudan Incident), after which a tombstone inscribed "The Tomb of Fifty-four Ryukyu Fiefdom Civilians of Great Japan" was erected at the cemetery. This marked the earliest monument left by the Japanese in Taiwan. During the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan, regular funds were allocated for maintenance, and even Okinawan historians came to Taiwan to promote the restoration of the tomb. Thus, even after hundreds of years, the cemetery has maintained its complete appearance, serving as an indelible historical relic. Although the appearance of the Ryukyu Civilian Cemetery has significant viewing value, the cultural implications it contains are even more profound. In the past, the indigenous people maintained headhunting traditions, so the victims buried in the cemetery, despite their names and descendants being known, were interred without heads. This historical tragedy not only left a sense of regret from the bloody battle, but also allows future generations to witness a rare cultural heritage from that era.
