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Photo
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Description
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Guanjia Pavilion
There
are four Guanjia Pavilions on Zhishan Rock. This is the best place for the
view. It was the lookout post during the Zhang-Quan Riot period. They could
signal danger when they found something unusual, and to stop sneak attack of
Quan-zhou people in Zhishan Rock. From 1853 to 1859, during the Zhang-Quan Riot
period, Zhang-zhou people was driven by Quan-zhou people into a corner, so that
they took their parents and family and prepared big amount of food to hide in
Zhishan Rock. They only needed to guard east, west, south, and north gates, and
Quan-zhou people could not attack them. These four Guanjia Pavilions were
lookout posts of Zhang-zhou people. They took turns to guard here day and night
to watch the movement of enemy. These four Guanjia Pavilions are distributed in
the neighborhood of East Fort, North Pass Gate, West Fort, and Baierkan today.
For the tourist walking on Zhishan Rock, they can rest in each Guanjia Pavilion
when they get tired. |
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West Fort
In
West Fort, You can view the entire Taipei Basin scenery. From different
direction, you can clearly view the mountain shape and city buildings, and can
understand the terrain of Taipei Basin. |
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Tree Eating (strangling)
Strangling
is a feature of tropical plants, and is the special survival way of ficus. For
some reasons (such as excrement of birds, wind blowing, or water flow), the
seeds of strangling plants falls on another plant. Under an appropriate
circumstance, the seeds start to grow, and continue to extend the aerial root
downward for absorbing water and nourishment. Strangling plants grow quickly to
contain dense branches and leaves, and finally surround the entire original
plan. The strangled plant cannot grow by limited environment and dies finally.
The strangling feature of ficus fits in the rock areas very well in which
normally plants cannot grow root. The bare rock environment is very common in
Zhishan Rock, but it provides extremely good growing environment to ficus. The
target of strangling plants does not need to be plant, and could be rock or
other buildings. For example, the big banyan in the backyard of Rock Temple
grew on a big rock.
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Zhishan Rock Monument
Zhishan
Rock was the spiritual worship holy land for Japanese to initiate country and
education during Japanese Occupation Period. After Japan was defeated and
Taiwan was recovered in 1945, the Nationalist Government destroyed the shrines
and all kinds of stone tablets built in Japanese Occupation Period, and
discarded these everywhere in the park. Yangmingshan Administration Office
cleaned up Zhishan Park first time in 1959, and reinterpreted the value of
country and education during Janpanese Occupation Period to people. By the
decision of National Assembly, they rebuilt Zhishan Rock Monument in Zhishan
Rock to highlight the actions of ancients against Japan, and help tourist
understand the historical meaning of this. |
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Yunong Reading Room
This was the original site of the Tomb of Six Teachers,
and was the place ofJapanese
shrine. After the Nationalist Government moved to Taiwan, they built Yunong
Reading Room to replace this area in memory of the former leader of intelligence
unit, General Dai-li. The surrounding areas of this place developed a series of
“Yunong” names such as Yunong Reading Room, Yunong Road, Yunong Elementary
School, Yusheng Street, Yusheng Elementary School, and Yusheng Village (Since
the alias of General Dai-li was Yunong).
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Baierkan
Walking
along Yunong Road and crossing Yunong Bridge, we got to the entrance of Zhishan
Park. It was a very tall and very long stairs. This is called Baierkan by local
people. We counted the stairs to see if it is really 120 stairs. This was built
in Zhang-Quan Riot period to prevent the invasion of Quan-zhou people. When
Japanese came to Taiwan, they tore down the southern gate and build this
Baierkan. There is a stone horse down the hill. The space between stairs of
Baierkan is very steep. When you look up from below, you can feel the great
spirit. This shows the expectation of Japanese when they built this. They hope
children who came worship here would hold their extremely respectful heart. |
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Zhishan Rock Apex
The
Apex of Zhishan Rock is in the northeastern location of Zhishan Rock. It
locates at the spot crossing Yusheng Street from Intelligence Bureau. Its
elevation is 51.8 m, and is about 17 floors high. Zhishan Rock is not
especially high in entire Taipei Basin, but is a very famous apex. Since the
location occupies a commanding position, it has been carrying the
responsibility of protecting president mansion for long period of time. To
visit Zhishan Rock, the public transportation is very convenient, and the plank
for walking is safe. When you are on top of Zhishan Rock, you may hear chirp of
bird and insect when it is sunny and cloudless. |
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300-year-old camphor tree
The
camphor tree on Zhishan Rock is 20 meter high, and 104 cm in diameter at breast
height. It is the oldest tree in Taipei. For city development and choice of
economy, all camphor trees were almost chopped down. Camphorated oil is
extracted from its trunk. |
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Excavation Pit Classroom
In
1896, Japanese Kurino walked in the southern gentle slope of Zhishan Rock,
nearby the archaeology excavation pit today, and found a piece of strange
stone. He sent that stone back to Japan, and found out it was a stone axe used
by prehistoric human who lived here 3000 to 3600 years ago. Therefore, they
classified this area as a conservation area for important prehistoric culture.
Zhishan Rock became the first prehistoric cultural relic discovered in Taiwan.
The archaeology excavation pit is only 6 square meter, but the era of its
cultural content covered from 7000 years to 2000 years ago. Only Zhishan Rock
Cultural Relic covers 6 cultural layers in Taiwan, so the historical value is
very high. |
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Teachers Monument
After
the Six Teachers incident happened, in order not to impact the procedure of
recruiting Japanese teachers to work in Taiwan, Japanese Government especially
emphasized the value of the spirit for sacrifice and dedication. They built a
tomb for six teachers in front of big camphor tree in Zhishan Rock, and set up
the Teachers Monument. The monument was signed by Japanese former Prime
Minister Hirobumi Ito, and the tablet inscription says: “The entire island of
Taiwan is our territory, so education for changing old society to new one is
our priority. These six people were attacked by bandits in Pattsiran, and died
on January 1, 1897. Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito”. Teachers Monument is 13 ft
tall, 2 ft wide, and 1 ft and 6 in thick. |
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Military Relic
When
the former Army Control Bureau (current Military Intelligence Bureau) stationed
in Taiwan, they built military pillboxes in all areas in order to protect
former president, so there are quite a few idle pillboxes in Zhishan Rock
relic.
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Tomb of Six Teachers
In
1929, the Zhishan Rock Shrine, tens of level ground in size, was built nearby
the original location of Tomb of Six Teachers. February 1 was the routine
ceremony date of this shrine every year. Japanese made Six Teachers to be the
spirit center of Japanese educators in Taiwan. This was called Zhishan Rock
Spirit. When the Nationalist Government moved to Taiwan, they destroyed the
Zhishan Rock Shrine for political reasons. Later, the alumnus of Shilin
Elementary School appreciated their contribution to educate students in Shilin
area, they remodeled the tomb in current location, close to Mountaintop Column
Cave for later generations to visit. Those six teachers were, Katori (from
Yamaguchi Prefecture, 39 years old), Sekiguchi (from Aichi Prefecture, 38 years
old), Ihara (from Yamaguchi Prefecture, 24 years old), Nakajima (from Gunma
Prefecture, 27 years old), Katsura (from Tokyo, 27 years old), and Hirai (from
Kumamoto Prefecture, 18 years old). |
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Zhishan Agreement Tablet
The
Zhishan Agreement was signed in 1805, and the Tablet was built in February,
1849. People from the temple built this tablet for protecting their right. In
August, 1847, Huang Lu made an excuse to chop down the old trees in the
northeastern side of Zhishan Rock, and was punished by the temple to offer
outdoor theater for apology. The temple stipulated prohibition of cutting the
tree again. In order for people to remember this agreement, and understand the
history of offering land to build temple, they built the Zhishan Agreement Tablet
in 1849. It currently locates in the east Nostalgia Garden. The tablet is 116
cm tall, 58.5 cm wide, and 10 cm thick. They did not build border tablet when
they offered the land for building temple, so that their later generations did
not know this, and disputed with the temple when they cut trees on the
mountain. In order to clarify the land offering, they built this tablet for
permanent proof. |
