Wulu Fortress Introduction
Following the winding Southern Cross-Island Highway to Wulu Village, and following the signs along the small path, one arrives at the Wulu Battery hidden deep in the forest. Two ancient cannons, over a hundred years old, are positioned at a high vantage point where visitors can overlook the vast Wulu Village, Wulu Canyon, and the distant, undulating Central Mountain Range. The excellent view and weathered cannon bodies witness a history filled with blood and tears from the anti-Japanese struggle. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese aimed to concentrate control over the dispersed Bunun tribes in the mountains, forcibly managing them and confiscating firearms and ammunition, resulting in fierce conflicts, with the Wulu anti-Japanese incident being the most representative. In 1927, the Japanese opened the ancient road from Xinwu to Wulu, transporting captured Russian cannons from the Russo-Japanese War, and constructed the Wulu Battery at the high point to suppress the resisting Bunun people, with artillery also located in nearby Saku (Dalu) and Madiangulu (Motian). After World War II ended and Japan surrendered unconditionally, the two other batteries no longer existed, leaving only these two century-old cannons behind Wulu Elementary School, silently telling the history of the Bunun people's resistance to protect their homeland amidst beautiful scenery.
