Tiger Character Stone Introduction
At an altitude of about 330 meters, the Tiger Stone is located at the windswept juncture of the Caoling Old Trail between Taipei and Yilan County. The stone was erected by Liu Mingdeng, the General of Taiwan, to ward off the harsh winds that afflicted travelers over the years. The character "虎" (Tiger) was inscribed here with the intention of conveying "clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger," to alleviate wind damage. The ancestors established this monument as a protective measure, serving as a reminder for travelers to exercise caution due to the frequent strong winds in this area. The Caoling Old Trail was gradually opened by the Pingpu people, the early inhabitants, to facilitate communication between the plains on either side of the Xueshan mountain's tail ridge. During the Qing Dynasty, near the coastline extending eastward from Aodi in today's Gongliao District of New Taipei City, there was a collection of Pingpu tribes collectively known as the Sandiao Society, which still had a population of about 500 as of 1917. In earlier times, they lived along the coast, especially at river mouths, relying on fishing for their livelihood. Today, descendants of the Pingpu people still reside in this area.
