Pingtung County authorities have approved plans to preserve a historic burial site linked to anti-Japanese resistance fighters from 1895. The decision followed a cultural assets review after workers discovered the Hakka resistance tomb during a grave relocation project earlier this year.
County officials said the site carries exceptional historical significance because it documents organized local resistance during Japan’s early colonial advance. The Hakka resistance tomb sits in Changzhi Township, where relocation work uncovered inscriptions and burial arrangements tied to the Battle of Huoshaozhuang.
That battle took place in 1895 as Japanese forces moved south following the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Historical records indicate more than 200 Hakka volunteer fighters died defending the short-lived Republic of Formosa during the conflict.
Community leaders transported the bodies by cattle cart and buried them collectively in what later became the township’s Second Public Cemetery. Descendants of resistance leader Chiu Feng-yang later assumed responsibility for memorial rites and site upkeep.
Over time, however, the exact location faded from public knowledge until this year’s cemetery relocation project revealed the tomb. Changzhi Township Mayor Wu Liang-ching said the discovery renewed local awareness of overlooked resistance history.
Wu worked with cultural scholars and the Dawupu Zhongyong Gong Management Committee to advocate preserving the Hakka resistance tomb in place. He said relocation would risk erasing a rare physical record of community-led resistance.
The committee submitted a formal cultural assets review request after residents opposed proposals to relocate or cremate the remains. Chairman Huang Chi-hsiung said community members viewed the proposals as disrespectful to historical memory.
Vice chairman Chiu Chan-hsin said the site represents the largest known burial ground for resistance fighters in Pingtung County. He added that preserving the Hakka resistance tomb would strengthen education about regional Hakka heritage.
Cultural historians involved in the review emphasized the tomb’s scale and its close ties to local Hakka traditions. They noted that few comparable resistance burial sites remain intact in southern Taiwan.
Experts also said preservation aligns with broader efforts to protect marginalized historical narratives within Taiwan’s colonial history. They argued that physical sites provide stronger educational value than written records alone.
County officials confirmed that preservation would proceed without disturbing the remains. Authorities plan further documentation of inscriptions, burial layouts, and oral histories connected to the site.
Officials are also considering interpretive signage and educational materials after additional public consultations. Wu said the preserved Hakka resistance tomb could serve as an important learning site for future generations.
He added that protecting the tomb honors residents who defended their communities during a turbulent political transition. County cultural officials said the case highlights how development projects can uncover irreplaceable historical assets.
As preservation efforts move forward, the Hakka resistance tomb stands as a lasting symbol of local sacrifice during colonial upheaval.
