Eland Card Church Introduction
The history of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan dates back to 1865 when British physician Dr. James Laidlaw Maxwell arrived in southern Taiwan, and to 1872 when Canadian Presbyterian Dr. George Leslie Mackay came to northern Taiwan to engage in medical missionary work. During a time when Taiwan was politically and economically troubled and impoverished, the church provided significant medical, educational, and spiritual support to local residents, becoming a faith center in many areas. The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan was introduced to the Iwan tribe in 1950, when individuals such as Zhu Lanmei gradually converted from other denominations. At that time, there were also evangelists like Chen Zhifeng and Pastor Lin Chuanming assisting in the church's evangelistic efforts. As the congregation grew, the existing family gathering place could no longer accommodate the attendees. Therefore, the following year, the congregation decided to independently raise funds and work together to complete the construction of a chapel, which was finished in 1953 with a cement-tiled roof. In 1974, a typhoon damaged the original church structure, leading to plans for a new church. The current church, designed by Mr. Lai Ming-te, is a one-story brick building, its facade resembling a European country church, primarily white, with a Gothic-style roof, featuring crosses and angel sculptures at the roof peak and on both sides of the main entrance. Another version of the story suggests that when discussing the church's appearance, Mr. Lai referred to small cards he had collected as a child, using their designs as a blueprint for the architecture, thus earning it the nickname. It is one of the most architecturally striking churches along the east coast. In 2003, the Taitung County Government designated it as a "Historical Building." As its fame increased, more people began to visit the Iwan tribe at the northern end of Chenggong Township to see the card church's distinctive features. It not only attracted domestic filmmakers for shooting locations; in August 2012, local musician "Reed" from Chenggong Township named his new album "The Bell Sound of the Card Church," inviting internationally renowned designer "Hsieh Ching-yang" to create the album cover based on the church's appearance, which won the award for "Best Album Packaging" that year, adding a touch of artistic and romantic flair to the card church.
