The Qing Dynasty Soldiers' Tomb for Garrisoning Taiwan and Penghu

The Qing Dynasty Soldiers' Tomb for Garrisoning Taiwan and Penghu

The Qing Dynasty Soldiers' Tomb for Garrisoning Taiwan and Penghu is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Qing Dynasty Soldiers' Tomb for Garrisoning Taiwan and Penghu is located in Lieyu Bay, Shen’ao Town. Historical records state that in the 24th year of the Kangxi reign (1685), the Nanao Regional Military Command was elevated, "the Xiamen Regional Military Command was relocated, along with the officers and soldiers of the Central, Right, and Left Battalions stationed in Nanao," with "Left Battalion troops rotating to garrison Taiwan, Penghu, and Tamsui... After a three-year term, they would be rotated out." These soldiers, who undertook the honorable mission of defending the country, crossed vast oceans to safeguard the territory and resist invaders. Some of them died in battle or while on duty, and their remains were brought back to Nanao for burial.

In early spring 1993, the Nanao County government allocated special funds to gather 199 scattered soldiers' tombs for Taiwan and Penghu, which were previously dispersed along the coastal hillside of Wupingzhai in Shen’ao, and renovated the cemetery. The cemetery consists of four parts: the "Loyal Souls" burial ground, the stele platform, the Wangkun Pavilion, and a sculpture. Beneath the three-dimensional characters “Loyal Souls” lie the remains of 199 soldiers, with stone tablets engraved with the names of the deceased embedded in the strokes of the characters. At the center of the stele platform stands a 2-meter-high tombstone inscribed with "Qing Dynasty Soldiers' Tomb for Garrisoning Taiwan and Penghu", and the back is engraved with the "Inscription for the Reconstruction of the Qing Soldiers' Tomb for Garrisoning Taiwan and Penghu". The entire cemetery features a unique structure and solemn atmosphere, integrating with the surrounding green mountains and clear waters to form a tourist site, as well as a memorial for honoring the martyrs and providing patriotic education.