Kaohsiung’s Fengshan Detention Site Unveils Secrets of White Terror

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

Kaohsiung’s National Historic Site — the “former Japanese Navy Fengshan Wireless Telegraph Station” — became shrouded in mystery as the “Fengshan Detention Site” following the Navy White Terror events in 1949. Based on survivor accounts, the Kaohsiung City Cultural Affairs Bureau has recreated the prison cells used to detain suspects at the time, revealing the site’s hidden history to the public for the first time and inviting visitors to explore this human rights landmark.

During the Navy White Terror, those detained were mostly naval political and ideological prisoners, most of whom were held in what is now the “office building and classrooms,” or in the pitch-dark, feared “cave” (now known as the “Large Fort”). Prison cells were divided into “regular cells” and “privileged cells” based on the detainees’ military ranks. In addition to losing their freedom, prisoners underwent thought reform and were only allowed to read the “Three Principles of the People.” Interrogations often took place at night, lasting anywhere from two or three hours to until dawn — sometimes with no return. The thick, towering walls of the prison cells make it easy to imagine the torment and despair of that era. Along with the rumored “water prison,” all are explained in detail by guides, offering visitors an in-depth look at the oppressed human rights history of the White Terror period.

This national historic site has gone through four phases: “Japanese Navy Wireless Telegraph Station,” “Fengshan Detention Site,” “Navy Indoctrination Center / Navy Mingde Training Class,” and “cultural asset preservation.” The so-called “Navy White Terror” stemmed from the purge of the navy by the Nationalist government after relocating to Taiwan in 1949, when the site was used for naval investigations and detentions, earning the name “Fengshan Detention Site.” The military justice system at the time lacked open and transparent trial processes, leading to numerous miscarriages of justice.

This historically rich national heritage site has been open to the public on weekends since the merger of Kaohsiung County and City. Recognizing that younger generations are unfamiliar with the various historical phases and stories behind the site, guided tours lead visitors through related historical scenes. After the tour, participants return to the Large Fort where a documentary on the Navy White Terror is shown. Through survivor interviews, visitors can feel the suffering caused by human rights violations. After being designated a national historic site in August 2010, it became one of Kaohsiung’s cultural and historical landmarks.

 

 

● Read more: Ride a mini train, take a swan boat — new ways to explore Kaohsiung’s Lotus Pond

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