Tiger Character Stone Introduction
Located at the wind gap between Taipei and Yilan County on the Caoling Old Trail, the Tiger Stele is about 330 meters above sea level. It was erected by Liu Ming-deng, the Governor-General of Taiwan. Due to the strong winds that have long plagued travelers in this area, the character "Tiger" was inscribed here to symbolize "clouds follow the dragon, winds follow the tiger," aiming to ward off wind damage. The stele also serves as a reminder for travelers that strong winds are common here, and they should exercise special caution when passing through. The Caoling Old Trail was gradually built by the indigenous Plains tribes to facilitate communication between the plains on either side of the Xueshan Mountain range. During the Qing Dynasty, there was a group of Plains tribes known collectively as the Sandiao Society, located near the coastline extending east from the Aodi area in present-day Gongliao District, New Taipei City, with a population of over five hundred in 1917. In earlier times, they lived along the coast, particularly at the mouths of rivers, relying on fishing for their livelihood, and descendants of these Plains tribes still reside in the area today.
