Tiger Character Stone Introduction
Located at the wind gap between Taipei and Yilan County on the Caoling Ancient Trail, the Tiger Stele stands at an elevation of approximately 330 meters. The stele was erected by Liu Mingdeng, the Governor of Taiwan. Due to the long-standing strong winds in this area that have harmed travelers, the character "虎" (Tiger) was inscribed here to signify "the clouds come from the dragon, the wind comes from the tiger," aiming to ward off wind damage. The ancestors erected this stele to suppress evil spirits and remind travelers to be particularly cautious due to frequent strong winds in this location. The Caoling Ancient Trail was gradually developed by the indigenous Pingpu people long ago to facilitate communication between the plains on either side of the Xueshan tail ridge. During the Qing Dynasty, nearby the coastline extending east from Aodi in present-day Gongliao District, New Taipei City, there existed a group of Pingpu tribal settlements collectively known as Sandiao Society, which had a population of over five hundred as of 1917. In the earlier years, they lived along the coast, especially near stream outlets, sustaining themselves through fishing, and descendants of the Pingpu people still reside in this area today.
