Starting with the first official release of victims’ names in August, the schedule of planned activities includes academic conferences, memorial concerts and unveiling historical documents. The commemoration closes in October with the inauguration of a dedicated museum in Yujing District.
Yeh Tse-shan, director-general of TCG’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, said the museum was converted from a century-old sugar refinery complex in Yujing. “The region witnessed the fiercest confrontations during the uprising. A total of 1,412 were killed in the crackdown, while another 1,424 were arrested and sentenced by the Japanese.”
The 1915 revolt is also known as the Xilai Temple Incident, as the leader Yu Ching-fang and his followers Luo Chun and Chiang Ting were members of a local Zhaijiao sect—a form of lay Buddhism—based in Tapani, present-day Yujing.
The bold attacks launched by armed insurgents against police stations incurred the wrath of the Japanese authorities and escalated into large-scale conflicts spanning the districts of Nanhua, Nansi, Yujing and Zuozhen.
Historical facts remained hidden for the better part of the last century, with the whereabouts of many victims a mystery and descendents left pondering their fates. But this situation looks set to change with the publication of latest research results and preservation of all historical artifacts and research materials related to the Tapani Incident in a commemorative museum.
“We hope to put the victims’ spirits to rest by making their stories known, and bringing solace to the families who feel wronged by history,” Yeh said. (YHC-JSM)
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