Fukang'an Monument Introduction
The famous memorial stone tablet praising the achievements of Fuk'anggan, composed by Emperor Qianlong, stands majestically on a stone turtle base. While such stone tablets are often seen throughout China, Taiwan has very few examples, with only a few remaining in places like Tainan. This greatly enhances its rarity and signifies the importance of this tablet, which is linked to a significant chapter in Taiwan's history – the Lin Shuangwen Incident. Notably, Zhuoluo County was given the name "Chiayi" by imperial decree due to this event, making it the only place name in Taiwan granted by the Emperor himself. In the 51st year of Qianlong (1786), Lin Shuangwen raised troops in Changhua, killing the county magistrate, and advanced south to capture Zhuoluo (Chiayi) and Fengshan counties, resulting in chaos across Taiwan. Thanks to General Chai Da-ji's brave efforts, he not only defended Tainan City but also recaptured Zhuoluo County in the first month of the 52nd year of Qianlong (1787). After regrouping, Lin's forces continued their siege of Zhuoluo City, leading to fierce battles and a precarious situation. In October of that same year, Emperor Qianlong dispatched General Fuk'anggan, who had achieved military success, to reinforce Taiwan, where he defeated Lin Shuangwen and lifted the siege of Zhuoluo City. Following this, the local military and civilians of Zhuoluo were commended for their defense, and thus the name of the place was changed to Chiayi. In the 53rd year of Qianlong (1788), the Emperor commanded the creation of ten memorial stones and turtle bases to honor Fuk'anggan's achievements in battle, with four engraved in Manchu, four in Chinese, and two inscribed in both languages. One of the bilingual stones was to be erected in Chiayi, while the other nine were to be located in Tainan City. The stone tablets and turtle bases were carved in Xiamen and transported to the port of Tainan for unloading; unfortunately, one of the turtle bases fell into the harbor and was later replaced with a sandstone replica for Chiayi. The base has been relocated several times and is now positioned at its current site. (The turtle base that fell into the harbor was retrieved by Tainan fishermen in 1911 and is enshrined at the Bao'an Temple in Tainan.) Fuk'anggan Memorial Tablet Brief Information: Dimensions: Height 310 cm, Width 143 cm Form: Inscribed with imperial writings, adorned with dual dragon motifs, bordered with dragon patterns, featuring both Manchu and Chinese script. Site Construction: 53rd year of Qianlong (AD 1788)
