top of page

Exhibits

Online Exhibition

Scars on the Land: The Historic Sites Related to the February 28 Incident in Northern Taiwan
Second part: In the Wake of Gunshots

Update：2023-07-18

Date：Feb 20, 2021 –May 16, 2021 Opening Hours：10:00 to 17:00, from Tuesday to Sunday Closed Day: Every Monday Advised by the Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan Organized by the Memorial Foundation of 228, National 228 Memorial Museum

Exhibition period: May 20, 2021 – August 15, 2021
​
Opening Hours：10:00 to 17:00, from Tuesday to Sunday
​
Closed Day: Every Monday
​
Advised by the Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan
​
Organized by the Memorial Foundation of 228, National 228 Memorial Museum

The February 28 Incident of 1947 left an indelible scar on Taiwanese society. Even today, the locations and buildings that witnessed the events of the incident carry with them memories of the past crisis, becoming "February 28 Incident historic sites" where people can learn about and commemorate the incident.

Among these sites, there are government office buildings, spaces that were once closely connected to the daily lives of ordinary citizens, and places where people were victimized and killed. Taking space as the main theme, this exhibition makes use of descriptions of places, buildings, and routes sourced from archives and oral histories in order to substantively and meticulously connect the dots and illustrate a full picture of this complicated historical event.

Drawing upon two dimensions, the chronology of the February 28 Incident and the spatiality of the incident's development in local counties and cities, this exhibition is arranged into three parts. The first part covers the early post-war years in Taiwan, the killing associated with a contraband tobacco confiscation that took place on February 27, 1947 near Taipei's Tianma Tea House, the epicenter of the incident, and subsequent developments until the temporary introduction of martial law was declared on March 1 of the same year. The second part portrays how Taiwanese people who lived in the counties and cities to the west of Taipei and to the south of Tamsui River gathered together in meetings and discussed how to react to the ongoing situation after receiving news of the conflict in Taipei, as well as how the Nationalist government's army clamped down and conducted "village cleansing" after arriving on the island on March 8. The last part focuses on interactions between civilians and the government that occurred in the northeastern area of Taiwan to the east of Taipei as well as in Yilan and Hualien counties in eastern Taiwan, and particularly on the indiscriminate shootings and public executions perpetrated by the 21st Division of the Nationalist government's army soon after it landed at the Port of Keelung, causing significant casualties among civilians. The locations of historic sites that are included in this exhibition span several cities and counties, namely the Greater Taipei area, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli, as well as Yilan and Hualien in eastern Taiwan.

Second part: In the Wake of Gunshots

Exhibition period: May 20, 2021 – August 15, 2021

On March 1, some Taiwanese legislative representatives convened a committee dedicated to dealing with the contraband tobacco investigation that had resulted in bloodshed. Hoping to bring about a satisfactory resolution to the incident, the committee was reorganized into the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee on March 2, and its members held an assembly at Zhongshan Hall, to which people from various fields were invited. On March 4, the committee notified local councilors in a total of 17 Taiwanese cities and counties of the need to establish settlement committees in their own municipalities. For a while, it seemed that everyone was becoming optimistic about how the impact of the crisis was to be handled. However, just as many settlement committees at the municipal level were being set up, Chen Yi, Taiwan's chief executive, sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek asking if he could dispatch troops from China to his aid. On the one hand, Chen Yi asked for military reinforcements to be sent by the central government while he mobilized the existing armed forces on the island. On the other hand, he publicly declared that he would not carry out a military crackdown. His double-faced approach let the incident escalate to a point where it could not end peacefully.

  • First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department｜Taiwan New Cultural Movement Memorial Museum

  • Taipei Commercial School｜National Taipei University of Business

  • Taipei Industrial School｜National Taipei University of Technology

  • Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business｜Xuzhou Road campus of the College of Law at National Taiwan University

  • Yanping College｜Kainan Vocational High School

  • The Zhongshan Hall of Banqiao｜The Banqiao District Office

  • Tamsui High School｜Tamkang High School

  • Puding, Guandu｜Puding, Guandu

  • Shalun, Tamsui｜Shalun, Tamsui

  • Taoyuan Station｜Taoyuan Station

  • Hsinchu County Government｜The Taoyuan branch of the Taiwan Cooperative Bank

  • Taoyuan Police Station, Hsinchu County Police Bureau｜Taoyuan New Immigrants Culture Hall

  • Taoyuan Jingfu Temple｜Taoyuan Jingfu Temple

  • Hsinchu City God Temple｜Hsinchu City God Temple

  • Hsinchu City Government｜Hsinchu City Government

  • Taiwan Hsinchu District Court｜The Summary Court of the Taiwan Hsinchu District Court

  • Hsinchu branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee｜Hsinchu High School

  • Rising Sun Bridge, Hsinchu｜Chenggong Bridge

  • Houlong Station｜Houlong Station

  • The Fourth Military Police Regiment｜First Commercial Bank Information Building and private parking lot

  • Taiwan Garrison Command Second Department Guard Brigade Detention Center｜Lions' Plaza Commercial Building

  • Taiwan High Court｜Judicial Building

  • Taipei Botanical Garden｜Taipei Botanical Garden

  • Taiwan Garrison Command Labor Education Camp｜ROC Navy Command Headquarters, the Ministry of National Defense

  • Kawabata Bridge｜Zhongzheng Bridge

  • Taipei Bridge｜Taipei Bridge

  • Nangang Bridge｜Nangang Bridge

A boisterous discussion at Zhongshan Hall

On February 27, 1947, mass protests were triggered by a conflict that broke out during a contraband tobacco investigation. The next day, on February 28, the guards in front of the Chief Executive's Office building caused bloodshed among the protestors, and the disturbance in Taipei's city center continued to escalate, leading to the shutdown of several government agencies. In the afternoon of the same day, the Taiwan Garrison Command declared temporary martial law for Taipei's city center, where all social gatherings and demonstrations were prohibited. Meanwhile, armed military police patrolled the city center, and from time to time opened fire at pedestrians on the streets. After protesters broadcast news of the government's violent crackdown to the rest of the island on Taiwan Radio Station, Taipei County (today's New Taipei City) and the Keelung area saw protesters show solidarity with their compatriots in the capital and join the resistance. Many members of the Legislative Assembly witnessed the intensifying situation and decided to come forward to negotiate with the government. Ông Thiam-teng (a member of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly), N̂g Tiau-khîm (the speaker of the Taiwan Provincial Assembly) and others broadcast messages to their fellow Taiwanese citizens in the hope that the general public would wait for negotiations to take place between the legislators and the government, and that escalation of the already tense situation would be avoided.

​

On the morning of March 1, the Taipei City Council invited members of the National Assembly, the Taiwan Provincial Assembly and the National Political Council to establish the Contraband Cigarette Murder Investigation Committee at Zhongshan Hall, where Chiu Iân-siū, Ông Thiam-teng, Lîm Tiong, and N̂g Tiau-khîm were appointed to negotiate with the Chief Executive Chen Yi. They put forward requests, such as lifting martial law, prohibiting shooting, forming an incident settlement committee, and releasing arrested citizens, to de-escalate the tension. Although Chen Yi agreed to many demands and personally announced via radio the lifting of martial law, demonstrations and strikes were still strictly forbidden, and gunshots were still occasionally heard in the streets.

​

On the morning of March 2, students from Yanping College, Taiwan Provincial Normal School and Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business gathered at Zhongshan Hall to condemn Chen Yi's corrupt administration. In the afternoon, the Contraband Cigarette Murder Investigation Committee was re-organized into the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee, whose members included publicly elected politicians and civil society leaders. In the inaugural meeting of the Settlement Committee at Zhongshan Hall, Tiuⁿ Chêng-chhoan, a member of Taipei's City Council, gave a briefing on the meeting that he had previously had with Chen Yi and declared that representatives would be elected from among the chambers of commerce, citizens, students, trade unions, and the Taiwan Provincial Political Construction Association to continue deliberations on the handling of the incident. In order to show the public that the Chief Executive's Office was willing to take part in negotiations and to initiate political reforms, the Chief Executive's Office sent five officials, including Chou Yi-er (the chief of the civil affairs department) and Hu Fu-hsiang (the head of the police department), to participate in the Settlement Committee. However, on the very same day, Chen Yi sent a telegram to the central government in Nanjing to report on the turmoil in Taiwan and demanded reinforcements be sent to the island as the current military capacity was not enough to quell the unrest.

image.png

Already on March 2, Chen Yi sent this telegram to the central government in Nanjing asking Chen Cheng (the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of National Defense) to dispatch reinforcements to the island. In the telegram, Chen Yi wrote "…quickly choosing an infantry brigade that is relatively well-trained and dispatching at least one regiment to Taiwan would suffice to eliminate traitorous bandits and to ease His Excellency's worry about the southern land."

First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

In 1920, the Governor-General's Office set up the North Taihoku Police Station in Nisshin-chō of Daitōtei (Twatutia), which was in charge of all the police branches located to the north of the North Gate. In 1933, the station was relocated to a newly completed two-story building which has lasted to this day. On the ground floor, there was a fan-shaped detention room, a water dungeon, and a caning room. After Formosa was taken over by the Nationalist government in 1945, the station was renamed the First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department. In 1949, the name was changed to the Criminal Investigation Headquarters under the Taiwan Provincial Police Department. In 1990, it became the Datong Police Branch. In 1998, it was designated as a municipal historic site. In 2012, the Datong Police Branch was relocated to No. 200 Jinxi Street, which is right next door. In 2014, a historic building maintenance project was implemented to restore the building to how it looked when used as the North Taihoku Police Station. In 2018, the Taiwan New Cultural Movement Memorial Museum was officially set up at this building, and exhibitions, lectures and other events are now occasionally held there.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site​

In the afternoon of March 3, 1947, the members of the public security group of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee convened a temporary meeting in which a resolution was passed to create the Chung Yi Service Squad. Khó͘ Tek-hui was chosen as the squad leader and the Taipei City Police Department First Precinct was used as an office. The squad's social brigade (led by Khó͘ Tek-hui) and student brigade (led by Liāu Tek-hiông, the Chung Yi Service Squad's deputy leader, then head of the Federation of Student Self-governance Association and deputy director of the public security section of the Settlement Committee) attempted to maintain public order in Taipei City around the clock. However, the Chung Yi Service Squad was in fact established in accordance with the wishes of the government, and Khó͘ Tek-hui was ordered by the Taiwan Garrison Command to organize the squad. Permission was also given by Chen Yi for him to engage in infiltration work.

Taipei Commercial School
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

In 1917, the Commercial School of the Governor-General of Taiwan was established on the campus of Taihoku Prefectural Taihoku First Middle School (where today's Chien Kuo High School is located). In 1922, it was renamed Taihoku Prefectural Taihoku Commercial School and a night school was added. In 1924, the school was relocated to the current site under the instructions of the Governor-General's Office, and Taihoku Prefectural Taihoku Second Commercial School was established on the same campus in 1936. After the end of the Second World War, both schools were merged to create Taiwan Provincial Taipei Commercial School. Having been renovated and rebuilt many times, the school campus no longer resembles how it once looked.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

On February 28, 1947, some students from Taipei Commercial School joined the protest on the streets. On March 1, when the Taipei City Council invited people from all walks of life to form a Contraband Cigarette Murder Investigation Committee, Liāu Tek-hiông, a student from Taipei Commercial School, became one of the three student representatives. Other students also played an active role in maintaining public order. On March 3, Liāu Tek-hiông became the deputy leader of the Chung Yi Service Squad and arranged the students from Taipei Commercial School into the Eighth Team, responsible for maintaining public order around the Mengjia Police Branch.

Taipei Industrial School
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

In 1912, the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan established the Industrial Institute under the Education Department of its Civil Affairs Bureau in Tāi-an Village of Tōa-ka-la̍k district. In 1918, the Industrial School of the Governor-General was established specifically to enroll Japanese students. In 1923, both schools were merged to create a new educational institution called the Taihoku Prefectural Taihoku Industrial School. After the end of the Second World War, its name was changed to Taiwan Provincial Taipei Industrial and Vocational School. Most of the school buildings were originally made from bricks and timber, with many being rebuilt using concrete after 1930. After multiple renovations, almost all the old school buildings are now gone, except the Sixian Building, which was designated as a municipal historic building in 1998.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

On February 28, 1947, many Taipei citizens took to the streets to protest the bloodshed that had occurred during a contraband investigation the day before. Students of the Taipei Industrial School also took part in the demonstration. As protesters approached the Chief Executive's Office building, they were met with random shooting by the guards. Ngô͘ Péng-hông, then a student who was injured by a machine-gun, recorded his experience of the incident in a painting called The Gunshot in Front of the Chief Executive's Office Building.

 

Students from Taipei Industrial School played an active role in helping maintain public order in Taipei City. After the Chung Yi Service Squad was established on March 3, students from different schools and universities were grouped into eight teams, and students from Taipei Industrial School were responsible for the Fourth Team of the squad.

Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business
image.png
image.png

  • Current name of site｜Xuzhou Road campus of the College of Law at National Taiwan University

  • Type of historic site｜School attendance

  • Google Map｜https://goo.gl/maps/Y7iaEGxBDYNzL3VK7

Brief introduction to the site

The College of Commerce of the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan was established in 1919. It was later renamed the Taihoku College of Commerce in 1926. Its major fields of research were the economies of Taiwan and Southeast Asia. In 1946, the college became the Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business. The next year, it was merged into the College of Law at National Taiwan University. The building is an example of Western classical architecture made with plain bricks, and is still in good condition. It is currently managed by the NTU College of Professional and Continuing Education and is not in use. In 1988, the building was designated as a municipal historic building.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

On February 28, 1947, a mass protest was sparked by the bloodshed that had occurred the day before during a contraband tobacco investigation. Some students from the Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business also joined the protest. On March 2, students from Yanping College, Taiwan Provincial Normal College, and the Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business gathered at Zhongshan Hall, where they decided to organize a student squad to help maintain law and order on the streets. At the same time, another group of students were organizing a student army and preparing for armed attacks. Lí Tiong-chì, a former Japanese imperial soldier of Taiwanese heritage, got in touch with Koeh Siù-chông (from the NTU College of Medicine), Tân Péng-ki (from the Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business) and Ia̍p Kí-tong (from Yanping College) and formed three squads on March 4. The first squad gathered at Chien Kuo High School and was led by Tân Péng-ki. The second gathered at the Taiwan Provincial Normal College and was led by Koeh Siù-chông. The third squad gathered at the main campus of the National Taiwan University and was led by Lí Tiong-chì and Iûⁿ Kiàn-ki. The students from Yanping College were led by Ia̍p Kí-tong. There was also a squad consisting of workers from Shilin and Yuanshan. An armed militia also travelled from Taoyuan to help with the uprising. Later, as the plan could not be implemented as expected and no actions could be taken, the armed rebellion had to be aborted. After the incident, Tân Péng-ki was expelled from National Taiwan University for having participated in plotting armed actions.

Yanping College
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

In order to provide training opportunities for his fellow Taiwanese, Chu Chiau-iông, a prominent figure who had studied in mainland Japan during the Japanese colonial period, set up Yanping College and started to recruit students in September 1946. A school building at Kainan Vocational High School was borrowed temporarily to deliver evening and night courses. In October of that year, a ceremony was held to celebrate the college's opening.

​

In March 1947, after the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, the Nationalist government's army alleged that weapons had been found on the campus of Yanping College and forced it to shut down. In September 1948, the school resumed operations under a new name -- the Supplementary School of Yanping High School. In 1953, a new campus was officially built on section 1 of Jianguo South Road in Taipei City, where the school has been in operation to this day.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

In 1947, after the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, students from Yanping College took part in the maintenance of public security. Some students planned to organize a student militia. Ia̍p Kí-tong and other activists were involved in mobilizing students from schools such as Taiwan Provincial Normal College and the Taiwan Provincial College of Law and Business into three squads and preparing for an armed uprising. However, the resistance actions failed as things did not go as planned.

​

On March 9, after the reinforcements of the Chinese Nationalist government entered the city of Taipei, they alleged that weapons and the flags of the "Republic of Hsinghwa" were found on the campus of Yanping College and ordered the school to be shut down. On March 20, the Taiwan Garrison Command officially closed the school, alleging that "the school was badly run," "its registration had not been approved," and that "some students from this school had taken part in the rebellion during the February 28 Incident, which was illegal."

The expansion and reorganization of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee, and the establishment of its local branches

On the morning of March 4, 1947, the Taipei City February 28 Incident Settlement Committee decided to expand its organization and became an institution at the provincial level. It notified the local councils of 17 municipalities to set up subsidiary settlement committees urgently to deal with the upheavals on the streets in each city or county. It also asked local councils to send representatives to Taipei to join the activities of the Provincial Settlement Committee. From that day, multiple local settlement committees were established in various municipalities. On the same day, the Taiwan Student Alliance convened a general meeting at Zhongshan Hall. Following this, the alliance intended to organize a student militia, which for various reasons did not occur. On March 5, the Provincial Youth League for the Self-government of Taiwan was established in Zhongshan Hall. On the same day, the Provincial Settlement Committee convened a temporary general meeting, in which the articles of association and eight fundamental political reform proposals were put forward and passed. On March 6, the reorganization was completed after the new Provincial Settlement Committee held its inaugural meeting and elected 17 standing members of the committee.

image.png

On March 5, 1947, Tân E̍k-siông, as a member of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee, presided over a temporary general meeting of the committee, in which members of the National Assembly, the National Political Council, the Taiwan Provincial Assembly and representatives of other fields jointly decided the draft of the articles of association as well as the draft of the eight fundamental political reform proposals.

A total of 14 branches of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee were established in the northern and eastern counties and cities. The chronological details of the branches are as follows:

​

Taipei City

  • March 4: Taipei City's Settlement Committee was reorganized into an organization at the provincial level.

  • March 5: The Provincial Settlement Committee convened a temporary general meeting and passed the articles of association as well as eight fundamental political reform proposals.

  • March 6: The inaugural meeting was held and 17 standing members were elected. An open letter to the compatriots of the nation was released.

  • March 6: The Taipei branch of the committee was established.

  • March 7: The Settlement Committee proposed The Settlement Outline of 32 Policy Suggestions and Ten Demands, which was rejected by Chen Yi that evening.

  • March 8: The Settlement Committee withdrew its proposals and announced that The Settlement Outline of 32 Policy Suggestions and Ten Demands absolutely did not reflect the consensus of all Taiwanese people.

 
New Taipei City (Taipei County)

  • March 4: The Tamsui branch was established. The participants were mostly members of the Taiwan Provincial Political Construction Association.

  • March 6: The Banqiao branch was set up at Zhongshan Hall in Banqiao.

  • March 7: The Taipei County branch was established.

 
Keelung City

  • March 4: The Keelung City branch was established at Keelung City Council.

 
Yilan County

  • March 5: The Yilan branch was established at the Kaihua Building.

  • March 6: The Yilan branch elected Koeh Chiong-oân as its director and proposed five demands to the Provincial Settlement Committee.

  • Unknown: The Luodong branch, headed by denist Tân Sêng-ga̍k, seized weapons from police stations and maintained public order on the streets.

 
Hualien County

  • March 4: According to the intelligence records kept by the Secrets Bureau, some Fenglin villagers beat gongs to summon young community members to attend the meeting. On the same day, Fenglin Township mayor Lîm Bō͘-sêng established the Fenglin branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee and assigned the role of economic affairs director to Tân Tióng-bêng, who not only printed and distributed handouts to the wider community, but also organized recently repatriated youth into a youth corps. On March 6, the Fenglin committee took over police stations and a military warehouse. On March 7, it took over the barns at Hualien Farm, which was owned by the Agriculture and Forestry Office.

  • March 5: The Hualien branch was established at the Zhongshan Hall of Hualien County. Youth Corps member Mâ Yû-ngo̍k became the director of the Hualien branch and issued a list of 12 demands.

  • March 7: The Hualien branch proposed three guiding principles: "not causing bloodshed, not seeking independence, not pursuing communism."

 
Taoyuan City

  • March 1: According to the intelligence records kept by the Secrets Bureau, the Chungli branch was established by Tiuⁿ A-boán, Tân Tek-seng, and Lîm Thiam-khe.

 
Hsinchu City

  • March 2: The Hsinchu City branch was established at Hsinchu High School.

  • March 5: The Hsinchu City branch decided on ten proposals which were passed on to the Provincial Settlement Committee.

 
Hsinchu County

  • March 7: The Hsinchu County branch was established with three departments: the General Affairs Department, the Public Security Department, and the Food Provision Department. The person in charge of the branch was N̂g Ūn-kim. After the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, the General Affairs Department collected money and possessions from community members to fund the maintenance of its public security team.

 
Miaoli County

  • March 7: According to intelligence records, Chhòa Hâm-iông (the dean of Hong-chhun Hospital and the mayor of Houlong Township) recruited community members to attend a meeting, in which they decided to organize the Youth Alliance for Self-government and the Houlong branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee.

The Zhongshan Hall of Banqiao
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

The construction of Itabashi Public Hall was completed in May 1933. In 1945, its name was changed to the Zhongshan Hall of Banqiao after the Chinese Nationalist government took over Taiwan. In 1980, the original building was demolished and rebuilt as a six-story municipal administrative building. In 1983, the Banqiao City Office was relocated to this site. In 2010, when Taipei County became New Taipei City, the Banqiao City Office was reorganized into the Banqiao District Office.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

In the morning of March 6, 1947, more than 200 townspeople gathered at the Zhongshan Hall of Banqiao to attend a meeting presided over by Mayor Lîm Chong-hiân. Later, the Banqiao Township branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee was established with Ông í-bûn as the director and Iû Chio̍h-hó͘ as the deputy director. The Banqiao Township Public Security Squad was also created to maintain the peace and safety of the local community.

Tamsui High School
image.png
image.png

  • Current name of site｜Tamkang High School

  • Type of historic site｜School attendance．Disappearance．Injuries and deaths．Arrests．Conflict

  • Google Map｜https://goo.gl/maps/xKkPnLvuP2AkQ2iu6

Brief introduction to the site

In 1882, the Canadian Presbyterian Missionary Rev. George Leslie Mackay set up Oxford College in Tamsui. In 1914, Rev. George William Mackay, the eldest son of George Leslie Mackay, set up Tamsui Middle School right next to Oxford College. In 1922, the school changed its name to Private Tamsui High School. In 1925, it was relocated to the current site next to the original school buildings. In 1936, after the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan took control of the school, the school's name was changed again to Private Tamsui Middle School. In April 1947, the school was finally renamed Private Tam-kang High School. In 2007, the "Memorial Monument for the Victimized at Puding during the February 28 Incident" was installed at the campus of Tam-kang High School.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

After the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, some Taiwanese people broke into Tamsui High School and seized rifles that were previously used for military education during the Japanese colonial period, before attempting to attack soldiers stationed in the Tamsui area. On March 10, 1947, the Nationalist government's troops arrived in Tamsui. On the same day, while trying to find his friends, Tamsui High School student Koeh Hiáu-cheng was murdered by soldiers, and his body was left on the street. After hearing the news, Tân Lêng-thong (the principal of Tamsui High School) and N̂g A-thóng (the director of the student discipline department) transported Koeh Hiáu-cheng's body back to the school. The next morning, N̂g A-thóng walked from the school dormitory to check on Koeh Hiáu-cheng's body. On the way, Nationalist government soldiers who had failed to arrest students decided to abduct Tân Lêng-thong, Tân Ōng (Tân Lêng-thong's father), and N̂g A-thóng. Tân Ōng was released in the afternoon of March 12. When Tân Lêng-thong's daughter called out to physics and chemistry teacher Lô͘ Oân for help, he was shot and killed by soldiers. The whereabouts of N̂g A-thóng and Tân Lêng-thong are still unknown.

Tamsui High School
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

Guandu Puding is currently known as Fude Village in Tamsui District. According to research conducted by teachers and students from Ziqiang Elementary School, there were two execution grounds in Puding. One was near Matsu Rock and the other was at the empty land below the Ziqiang Military Dependents' Village. Matsu Rock is located inside the Ziqiang branch of Zhuwei Elementary School. The inscription on the rock was carved in 1913. In 2002, the rock was designated as a municipal historic monument. Opposite Matsu Rock used to be the Ziqiang Military Dependents' Village, which has since been demolished.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

Guandu Puding was a place where the Chinese Nationalist government's soldiers killed civilians and abandoned their corpses during the February 28 Incident. According to the oral history given by Ô͘ Sin-heng, an elder from Fude Village, he witnessed soldiers carrying more than a dozen people to the Puding area where they were to be executed during the February 28 Incident. In addition, Ngô͘ Iú-tek (a staff member of Tamsui Township Office), Ngô͘ Phêⁿ (a grocery store owner), and Lîm A-hô (a laborer) were all forcibly taken away from their residences by soldiers in mid-March. They were shot and killed at Guandu Puding on March 15 and their bodies were collected by their families.

Shalun, Tamsui
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

During the Japanese colonial period, Shalun in Tamsui was made into a seaside resort which began operations in 1919 and was shut down in 1950. In 1961, the Tamsui Township Office and the Taiwan Provincial Highway Bureau reopened the seaside resort next to military-controlled land, but it was closed again in 1999.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

Shalun in Tamsui was another location where the Chinese Nationalist government's soldiers killed civilians and abandoned their corpses during the February 28 Incident. On March 11, 1947, the Chinese Nationalist soldiers entered Tamsui High School and failed to arrest the students they were looking for. In the end, they abducted the school principal Tân Lêng-thong, pastor Tân Ōng, and student discipline director N̂g A-thóng and transported them to the seaside resort in Shalun, where the three of them were tied to the trunks of separate trees. Tân Ōng was released in the afternoon of March 12. A few days later, someone saw that the other two had their hands tied behind their backs on a military truck driving in the direction of Keelung. Their whereabouts remain unknown. N̂g Lióng-hōaⁿ (a chef), Tân Bān-seng (a laborer), Ang-Tân Chhiū-châng (a customs worker) and Lōa Heng-thàn (director of the Beitou Army Hospital) were also abducted by the soldiers and executed on the beach in Shalun.

City governments besieged by the masses: protests in Taoyuan and Hsinchu

After the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, news quickly spread to the neighboring Hsinchu area and many people who were already outraged at the bad governance of the Chief Executive's Office joined the resistance movement. In the early post-war years, the administrative division of Hsinchu County was larger than the present one, and included today's Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Hsinchu City and Miaoli County. In 1947, the headquarters of the Hsinchu County government were located in the commercial district in front of Taoyuan Railway Station on Zhongzheng Road in Taoyuan City.

On February 28, 1947, news of the mass demonstrations in Taipei spread to Hsinchu. On the same day, Hsinchu locals gathered at the square in front of Jingfu Temple, where they discussed the bad governance of the new regime and demanded the resignation of corrupt officials. Upon hearing of the public gathering, the Hsinchu County Government sent out a police squad to disperse the crowd, which once again sparked further public anger. The next morning, more than 30 students and young citizens arrived in Taoyuan from Taipei and joined forces with local youth to launch attacks on party and government agencies. They first took control of the weapons owned by the railway police before seizing Taoyuan Railway Station, in order to intercept the northbound trains that were transporting Chinese Nationalist troops from Fengshan, Kaohsiung to suppress the uprising in Taipei.

Taoyuan Station
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

Taoyuan Station was established in 1893 and was originally called Tōshien Railway Stop. In 1905, due to the redesigning of the West Coast line, a wooden structure was built at this site and named Tōen Railway Station. In 1962, the station was rebuilt with reinforced concrete.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

On the morning of March 1, 1947, more than 30 young Taiwanese travelled from Taipei to Taoyuan and joined forces with the local Youth Corps to attack government buildings. They first took over the weapons owned by the railway police and intercepted the northbound trains carrying Chinese Nationalist soldiers from Fengshan, Kaohsiung to crack down on the protests in Taipei. After taking control of Taoyuan Railway Station, the young Taiwanese started to search for post-war Chinese immigrants, many of whom fled to hide in the houses of their Taiwanese friends or sought refuge at police stations in Hsinchu County.

Hsinchu County Government
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

This site was originally the office building of the Tōshien Prefecture government, and was designed by Onogi Takahara, an architect from the Construction and Maintenance Department of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. Weatherboards were used to build a Western-style wooden structure. In 1920, after the administrative divisions of local governments were reorganized, the office building of the Tōshien Prefecture became Tōen District Office and the original wooden structure was changed into a two-story Western-style brick building. Various materials, such as tiles and pebbledash, were used in making the façade and the renovation was completed in 1922. Following the end of the Second World War, the building became the headquarters of the Hsinchu County government. After administrative divisions were redrawn in 1950, the building became the office building for the Taoyuan County government. Later, the original structure was demolished and converted into the current modern building.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

In the afternoon of March 1, 1947, as the news of the February 28 Incident spread to the Taoyuan area, local residents started to attack post-war Chinese immigrants and gathered at the buildings of the county government and other agencies, hoping to find officials who had previously been involved in corruption and bring them to Jingfu Temple to apologize to the public. At that time, as County Mayor Chu Wen-po was in Taipei on business relating to agriculture and forestry matters, the deputy mayor tried to de-escalate the tensions by negotiating with community leaders, but he was unable to prevent people from gathering at the city government building. Some local residents even broke into the city government's warehouse, from which they took out provisions such as rice and milk to share with others.

Taoyuan Police Station, Hsinchu County Police Bureau
image.png

  • Current name of site｜Taoyuan New Immigrants Culture Hall

  • Type of historic site｜Injuries and deaths．Significant locations．Conflict

  • Google Map｜https://goo.gl/maps/ad2tavSteThAVVom9

Brief introduction to the site

In 1927, Higashi-Honganji Temple was built at this site. After the Second World War, the Taoyuan Police Branch took over the temple and used it as an office building, which was renovated over the years. The original building was demolished at the beginning of the 1950s. The construction of the new office building was completed in 1955. In 1979, it was rebuilt again to accommodate the police station building standards of the 1970s and has been in use to this day. In 2018, this site became the Taoyuan New Immigrants Culture Hall.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

On March 1, 1947, as the news of the February 28 Incident spread to Taoyuan, locals started to attack post-war Chinese immigrants, who were forced to seek refuge at the Taoyuan Police Branch of the Hsinchu County Police Department. Seeing this, some students and young Taiwanese moved to surround the police branch and demanded that corrupt officials be handed over. After their demands were refused, protesters went to attack the Air Force warehouse and took away guns and ordnance, before returning to the police branch and demanding that the police disarm. The police swiftly rejected their demand and attacked the protesters with machine guns and rifles, causing a great number of casualties. At night, the conflict between the police and protesters continued, which forced the police to seek help from the Taiwan provincial police department. At midnight, reinforcements sent by the provincial police department arrived from Taipei and helped their colleagues escape from the back door of the besieged police branch before taking them back to Taipei.

Taoyuan Jingfu Temple
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

Jingfu Temple, also known as Sacred Duke Temple, was built in 1745 and has Tân Goân-kong as the main deity of worship. In 1813, Kán Ga̍k and other local worshipers donated money to have the temple rebuilt with a more grandiose design and a larger size than the original. As the most important place of worship in the area, Jingfu Temple is located in the center of Taoyuan City. Since the end of the Second World War, it has undergone multiple renovations and expansions and thus mostly remains in excellent condition. In 1985, Jingfu Temple was designated as a municipal historic site.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

The news of the February 28 Incident spread to the Taoyuan area on the same day it broke out in Taipei. On the evening of February 28, 1947, locals gathered in the square in front of Jingfu Temple, where they denounced the bad governance of the Chief Executive's Office and demanded the resignation of corrupt officials. Upon learning of the public gathering, the Hsinchu County government sent a police brigade to disperse the crowd, which further enraged the already furious locals. On the afternoon of March 1, a group of local youth attacked the Hsinchu County government building and brought the officials back to Jingfu Temple, where they were forced to kneel on the ground and apologize to the public. The student group set its headquarters in front of Jingfu Temple, and the Home Defense Militia also assembled there.

The political involvement of Hsinchu and Miaoli residents

When temporary martial law was imposed on the afternoon of February 28, 1947 in Taipei City, the Taiwan Garrison Command quickly maneuvered troops that were stationed in Fengshan, Kaohsiung, to northern Taiwan. In the early morning of March 1, the troops were forced to stop in Hsinchu City after the Taiwanese train driver ran away. Already enraged by the corruption scandal that Hsinchu City Mayor Kuo Shao-tsung had been involved in prior to the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, Hsinchu City residents joined the resistance movement immediately upon learning of the conflict in Taipei, and gathered near City God Temple.

On March 2, the protesters surrounded the Hsinchu City government building, the Hsinchu District Court and the civil servants' dormitory. However, the officials had already fled. The mayor even ordered the police department to crack down on the protests with the help of military police. At around 3 p.m., police and soldiers clashed with protesters at Rising Sun Bridge. Immediately after the protesters demanded military police hand over their weapons, they were met with machine-gun fire, which killed eight people and injured ten.

Hoping to quell disputes, Hsinchu politicians and community leaders established the Hsinchu City branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee at Hsinchu High School with Tiuⁿ Sek-kok, a member of the Taiwan Provincial Legislative Assembly, as director. The Hsinchu City branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee issued six demands to the Hsinchu City government, including "mainlanders will not demand compensation for their losses," "participants in the riot will be exempted from legal prosecution," "mayors of the City and County governments should be democratically elected," "the police should be disarmed," "the military garrison should be removed from the city center," and "soldiers who are waiting for transportation at Hsinchu should not assist with the crackdown in Taipei." However, Hsinchu City Mayor Kuo Shao-tsung only agreed to the first two requests. From March 3, the city center gradually regained peace and order. On March 5, the Hsinchu branch proposed ten more demands regarding political reforms. On March 6, representatives sent by the Hsinchu branch traveled to the central and southern parts of Taiwan to procure rice and sweet potatoes to help ease the food shortages affecting the city.

Out of affection for his hometown, So͘ Siāu-bûn, a military officer of Taiwanese heritage who worked as the commander of the Hsinchu Defense Command, acted as the guarantor for fellow countrymen Tân Thiam-teng, Tēⁿ Chok-hêng and Tēⁿ Kiàn-chiok, who were members of the Provincial Legislative Assembly. So͘ Siāu-bûn also ordered policemen and soldiers not to kill the innocent, which eased the impact of the government's crackdown in the Hsinchu area. Nonetheless, many locals were still arrested or killed in the turmoil.

There were also some sporadic conflicts in Miaoli. After witnessing the social unrest, Chhòa Hâm-iông (the dean of Hong-chhun Hospital and the mayor of Houlong Township) organized meetings with townspeople and decided to establish the Houlong branch of the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee in an attempt to maintain law and order in the area.

Hsinchu City God Temple
image.png
image.png

  • Current name of site｜Hsinchu City God Temple

  • Type of historic site｜Injuries and deaths．Protests and demonstrations．Significant locations．Conflict

  • Google Map｜https://goo.gl/maps/W9aCfML5oadPeqMf8

Brief introduction to the site

Originally built in 1748, the Hsinchu City God Temple is the highest-ranked City God Temple in Taiwan and also an important gathering space for locals. The stone sculptures on the front walls were added between 1924 and 1926. The main body of the City God Temple is in good condition. It was designated as a municipal historic site in 1985.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

​On the morning of March 2, 1947, locals gathered at the Hsinchu City God Temple and launched a protest campaign. They went to Fu Hsing Construction Company and Chung Hwa Hsing Grocery Store, both of which were run by post-war Chinese immigrants, set fire to their goods, and attacked so-called "mainlanders." The reason the locals decided to vent their anger at these two businesses could be because of the close relationship they had with Chinese officials. Afterwards, the protesters broke into the district court, the city government building, and the civil servants' dormitory.

Hsinchu City Government
image.png
image.png

Brief introduction to the site

The Shinchiku Prefecture government building, which was completed in 1926, was used as an office building by the Hsinchu City government after the war. In 1950, the administrative region was rezoned, and the original Shinchiku Prefecture was divided into three counties, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli. Hsinchu City was changed to a county-administered city, and the original building began to be used by the Hsinchu County government. The county government moved to Zhubei in 1989, and the building has housed the Hsinchu City government to this day. Designated as a national monument in 1998, the building was damaged by the September 21 Earthquake in 1999, and was fully repaired in 2005.

​

Incident-related events that occurred at the site

On March 2, 1947, locals gathered in front of the Hsinchu City God Temple to protest against the government and went on to smash government office buildings and attack civil servants on the streets. When the city government building became the target of protesters, officials had already sought refuge somewhere else and police and soldiers had already been deployed around the building. Later, the protesters gathered at Rising Sun Bridge near the city government, where they clashed with soldiers. After the soldiers suddenly started shooting, many protesters who were originally hiding under the bridge fled to the city government building for refuge.

bottom of page