Monument in Commemoration of His Highness Prince Ching's Disembarkation Introduction
This monument witnesses the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki between Qing Dynasty and Japan, which ceded Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan. Subsequently, Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa led his fleet to land at Budai, holding significant historical importance, and thus this monument has been registered as a historical building. On April 17, 1895, Qing and Japan signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, where the Qing court ceded Taiwan and the Penghu Islands to Japan. After the signing of the treaty, Japan faced fierce resistance from the residents during the initial phase of occupying Taiwan, with the main army, the Imperial Guards Division, supported by half of the Imperial Japanese Navy's standing fleet to assist in the occupation of Taiwan. On May 29 of that year, Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa landed with the Imperial Guards Division at Aoti. On October 10 of the same year, Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa led the mixed 4th Brigade to Budai, and after intense fighting, ordered a forced landing against the strong northeast monsoon. The next day, Major General Nogi Maresuke commanded the 2nd Division, landing at Fangliao in Pingtung, completing the military action to occupy Taiwan. In 1923, the Japanese erected a monument at the entrance of Jiaying Temple in Budai to commemorate Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa's landing there. The inscription was written by then Taiwan Governor-General Baron Kodama Gentarō, and this monument was designated as a local "historic site" by Tainan Prefecture. Subsequently, the monument became a pilgrimage site, and passing civilians or tourists would inevitably pay their respects. Elementary school students would also be led by their principals and teachers to pay homage during important events or the start of the school year. In 1933, Prince Kitashirakawa's grandson, Prince Yoshiyuki, visited Budai to see the salt pans and the memorial. Later, the Japanese erected a smaller stone monument beside it to commemorate Prince Yoshiyuki. However, after World War II ended in 1945, amidst a wave of "de-Japanization," Principal Cai Qing'an of Budai East National School led dozens of students to pull the monument down with ropes.
