.jpg?width=1920&height=1920&fit=bounds&quality=70&format=jpg&auto=webp#){kind=tracking}
Xingfu Village Monument in Taipei, Taiwan
There are all kinds of monuments in the world, but it is rare to come across one built to commemorate the construction of a cemetery. In the 1920s, many poor families in Taipei could not afford proper burial plots, so local community leaders and philanthropists organized a public donation drive to establish cemeteries. People from all parts of society contributed. In 1929, they purchased land over 30 hectares in Xingfu for public cemeteries, and to honor this charitable act, the monument was erected the following year. The monument, though nearly a century old, is well-preserved and surrounded by trees, with apartment buildings in the close background. It follows a traditional Japanese style and sits on a ridge. The stone on the top is inscribed with the words “Cemetery Building Monument,” while the back tells the story of how people from all walks of life contributed to raise funds for public burial land. The pedestal is engraved with the names of donors, including well-known Taiwanese gentry of the time such as Ko Hián-êng, Lîm Pik-siū, and Khóo Péng—figures mentioned in Taiwan's history textbooks. The monument now stands in Wenshan Forest Park, just a three-minute walk from the nearest trailhead. You might wonder—where is the cemetery? The park was actually built on former cemetery land, with the graves relocated elsewhere. Only the monument remains. Overall, the monument is located close to a dense residential neighborhood with minimal tourist traffic. Most local residents probably have never noticed it. For visitors interested in cemeteries or hidden heritage, it’s worth combining a visit with the nearby Lai’s Tomb Tower, the only Okinawan-style tomb in northern Taiwan and a registered historic site.
There are all kinds of monuments in the world, but it is rare to come across one built to commemorate the construction of a cemetery. In the 1920s, many poor families in Taipei could not afford proper burial plots, so local community leaders and philanthropists organized a public donation drive to establish cemeteries. People from all parts of society contributed. In 1929, they purchased land over 30 hectares in Xingfu for public cemeteries, and to honor this charitable act, the monument was erected the following year.
The monument, though nearly a century old, is well-preserved and surrounded by trees, with apartment buildings in the close background. It follows a traditional Japanese style and sits on a ridge. The stone on the top is inscribed with the words “Cemetery Building Monument,” while the back tells the story of how people from all walks of life contributed to raise funds for public burial land. The pedestal is engraved with the names of donors, including well-known Taiwanese gentry of the time such as Ko Hián-êng, Lîm Pik-siū, and Khóo Péng—figures mentioned in Taiwan's history textbooks.
The monument now stands in Wenshan Forest Park, just a three-minute walk from the nearest trailhead. You might wonder—where is the cemetery? The park was actually built on former cemetery land, with the graves relocated elsewhere. Only the monument remains.
Overall, the monument is located close to a dense residential neighborhood with minimal tourist traffic. Most local residents probably have never noticed it. For visitors interested in cemeteries or hidden heritage, it’s worth combining a visit with the nearby Lai’s Tomb Tower, the only Okinawan-style tomb in northern Taiwan and a registered historic site.
