Wen Wu Temple
The township-based imperial examination was initiated in Taiwan in 1687 for a total of 208 years until 1894 when Taiwan was ceded to Japan. A total of 346 scholars passed the triennial provincial examination, and at least 17 scholars in Lukang Township became the Juren-degree holders.
Scholar Shou-chiuan Ding (1846-1886 A.D.), whose original name was Sheng-tien, courtesy name was Tzu-chun, art name was Li-cheng, and imperial examination name was hou-chiuan, was born on Baolutzegang Street, Lutzegang, Changhua County, Taiwan Prefecture, Fujian Province (today's Lukang Township, Changhua County, Taiwan Province). In 1880, he passed the triennial court examination in the 48th place and became a Jinshi degree holder.
Source of photo : shot by this team
A1: Shou-chiuan Ding is my grandfather.
A2: Scholar Shou-chiuan Ding was born in Lukang. Our family (the Ding family) is of Arabian ethnicity. My ancestors immigrated to Fujian, China, where there are still descendants. In 2013, I went back to China to participate in a ceremony in memory of our ancestors, and reconnected with my cousin. At the time, after becoming a Juren degree holder, my grandfather returned to his hometown, Juren, to continue study, and then went to Beijing to take the imperial triennial court examination.
A3: After becoming a Jinshi degree holder, no official position was assigned to my grandfather. He applied for serving as a Chief Scholar to Baisha Academy, but failed to advance to Wenkai Academy because the Chief Scholar at Wenkai Academy at the time was his teacher. My grandfather took a sedan chair to go to Baisha Academy to teach every day. However, there is a long distance between Lukang and Huatan. Therefore, he lived in the house of his sister, my aunt, who married a man living a Changhua, during the teaching period in Baisha Academy.
Photo: Scholar Shou-chiuan Ding's Jinshi Certificate in 1880 : shot by this team
A4: My grandfather passed the examination to become a Jinshi degree holder in 1880. However, his story was different from the history in Lukang. He purchased the current Jinshi Residence after becoming a Jinshi degree holder. The portraits of my grandparents and the paintings of my grandmother are hung in the ancestor hall. The layout of Jinshi Residence is three entrances and two courtyards. The first entrance leads to the place where guests are welcomed are business is made. The second entrance leads to the family living place. The third entrance leads to the place where ancestors are enshrined and some family activities take place. The kitchen is located in the back, and there is also a well. The two courtyards in the middle are patios mainly for passing and lighting.
Source of photoshot by this team
Source of photoshot by this team
Source of photoshot by this team
A5: Serving as the Baisha Academy Chief Scholar was like an officially dispatched teacher in the Qing Dynasty. When he went to work, there were 2 sedan carriers, as well as 4 people holding boards in front of the sedan, which is similar to Mazu Pilgrimage. The boards said, “Favorable Weather” and “Peaceful Nation,” warning other pedestrians of giving way to the Jinshi. So, he was quite powerful at the time. However, the sedan carriers had to walk and started to carry the sedan at around 4 am in early morning. Therefore, their work was also quite hard.
The sedan taken by Mr. Ding to serve as the Chief Scholar at Baisha Academyshot by this team
Afterthoughts: It was very difficult for past scholars to pass the imperial examinations. They had to sail across the Black Ditch (Taiwan Strait) and then walked a very long distance, took a sedan or rode a horse to Beijing to take the triennial court examination. This journey took approximately 1-2 months, and they might even get ill or get robbed. Therefore, it was very difficult for them to become a Jinshi degree holder.