Fukankan Memorial Monument Introduction
The commendation stele for Fuk'anggan, written by Emperor Qianlong, is quite famous. The stele is erected on a stone tortoise, making it quite spectacular. While it is common to see stone tortoises used as bases for steles throughout China, it is rare in Taiwan; only a few remain in places like Tainan. Not only is this an example of something precious due to its scarcity, but more importantly, this stele is linked to an important chapter in Taiwanese history—the Lin Shuangwen Incident. Because of this incident, Zhuolu County was granted the name "Chiayi" by the Emperor, making it the only place name in Taiwan directly given by an emperor. In the 51st year of Qianlong (1786), Lin Shuangwen raised an army in Changhua, killing the magistrate of Changhua, and moved south to capture Zhuolu (Chiayi) County and Fengshan County, resulting in chaos throughout Taiwan. Thanks to the courageous military efforts of the Taiwanese general Chai Da-ji, Tainan Prefecture was defended, and in the first month of the 52nd year of Qianlong (1787), Zhuolu County City was recaptured. After reorganizing, Lin Shuangwen's troops continued to besiege Zhuolu City, leading to fierce battles and a precarious situation. In October of that year, Qianlong dispatched General Fuk'anggan, who had achieved military success, to reinforce Taiwan, defeating Lin Shuangwen and lifting the siege of Zhuolu City. The military and civilian defenders of Zhuolu City were commended for their bravery, and the name was officially changed to Chiayi. In the 53rd year of Qianlong (1788), the Emperor ordered ten memorial steles and tortoise bases to be erected to honor Fuk'anggan's military achievements. Four were inscribed entirely in Manchu, four entirely in Chinese, and two in a combination of both languages, with one of the bilingual steles intended for Chiayi and the other nine for Tainan Prefecture. The stone stele and turtle base were carved in Xiamen and shipped to Tainan Prefecture. Upon arrival at the port, one of the turtle bases accidentally fell into the harbor, and a sandstone replica was subsequently made for Chiayi. The base was moved several times before being placed at its current location. (The turtle base that fell into the harbor was retrieved by fishermen in Tainan in 1911 and is now enshrined at the Bao'an Temple in Tainan.) Brief information about Fuk'anggan's memorial stele: Dimensions: The stele is 310 cm tall and 143 cm wide. Form: It features an inscription by the Emperor, adorned with double dragon patterns and framed with dragon motifs, combining Manchu and Chinese characters. Year of construction: 53rd year of Qianlong (1788).
