Sacred Ground, Living Memory: The Cultural Preservation Movement at Nanshan Cemetery

文章來源:pearlnewssuna.org 作者 Alex Vesper

Photo by Shu Fen Yang / Journalist Shu Fen Yang (front row, fourth from left) joins community members in Tainan after presenting on the fight to save Nanshan Cemetery, a cornerstone of Taiwan’s cultural heritage. Guardians’ Memory: When Journalists Become Historians

In the quiet courtyards of Tainan’s Guandi Temple (關帝廳), where Guan Gung (關公) has watched over the faithful for centuries, a profound conversation about preservation and memory unfolds. It is here, surrounded by divine presence, that journalist Shu Fen Yang (楊淑芬) delivered one of her most compelling presentations about Taiwan’s cultural heritage crisis—specifically, the threatened destruction of Nanshan Cemetery (南山公墓).

Yang, known for her investigative work, including the acclaimed book and documentary “In Search of a Mixed Identity” (尋找湯德章), has emerged as a crucial advocate. Her connection to Nanshan Cemetery runs deeper than a professional interest: Tang De-zhang, the mixed-heritage lawyer and human rights defender executed during the 228 Incident, is buried within the cemetery’s ancient grounds. Through her meticulous research, Yang has illuminated how individual stories of courage and sacrifice are woven into the very soil of this threatened cultural landscape.

Four Centuries of Sacred Geography

Nanshan Cemetery represents Taiwan’s most significant historical burial site, spanning over 400 years of island history. Occupying nearly 100 hectares in Tainan’s southern district, this expansive cemetery contains approximately 60,000 above-ground tombs, with countless more underground graves awaiting archaeological investigation. The site encompasses burials from the Dutch colonial period through the present day, making it Taiwan’s largest Ming and Qing dynasty burial complex.

Recent archaeological investigations have revealed the cemetery’s extraordinary cultural depth. During water-district redevelopment in 2009, workers discovered over 60 stone coffins along with pottery, copper coins, and other artifacts. These findings suggest that the site’s significance extends far beyond its documented history, potentially containing archaeological layers that span millennia.

Photo by Wei Guang Ju / Professor Wei Guang Ju (right) and civil rights advocate Linda Gail Arrigo (left).

Divine Intervention and Cultural Resistance

The preservation movement has found unexpected support in spiritual traditions. During Yang’s presentation at Guandi Temple, the divine atmosphere seemed to bless the evening’s discourse on heritage protection. The temple setting proved symbolically powerful—Guan Gung, the deified general known for loyalty and righteousness, has long been associated with the protection of cultural values and moral justice.

The spiritual dimension of the preservation effort reflects broader themes connecting local Taiwanese folk religion with international concepts of sacred-site protection. UNESCO’s framework for heritage of religious interest recognizes that approximately 20 percent of World Heritage properties have spiritual connections, emphasizing the “living, social and spiritual nature” of such sites.

This alignment resonates with UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), which promotes inclusive societies and equal access to justice. The cemetery preservation movement exemplifies community-led advocacy for cultural rights and institutional accountability—core principles of SDG 16’s vision for strong, participatory governance.

Intercultural Dialogue and Memory Politics

Yang’s work exemplifies the power of intercultural dialogue in preservation advocacy. Her research methodology—combining oral history, archival investigation, and community engagement—mirrors UNESCO’s approach to fostering understanding across cultural divides. Through documenting individual stories like Tang De-chang’s mixed Japanese-Taiwanese heritage, Yang demonstrates how personal narratives can illuminate broader historical themes of identity, justice, and belonging.

The preservation movement also connects with UNAOC (United Nations Alliance of Civilizations) priorities around intercultural and interfaith dialogue. The cemetery contains Christian burial sections alongside traditional Chinese graves, Buddhist monuments, and indigenous burial practices—creating a multicultural landscape that embodies Taiwan’s complex cultural evolution.

Professor Wei’s scholarly contributions have emphasized how UNESCO’s sacred-culture and spiritual-learning frameworks apply to Taiwan’s heritage-preservation challenges. His research demonstrates how traditional burial practices represent sophisticated interactions between human communities and natural environments—precisely the kind of cultural knowledge that UNESCO seeks to protect through its Heritage of Religious Interest initiative.

Photo by Wu Ming-Xian / An aerial view of Nanshan Cemetery, where winding streams and dense greenery cradle thousands of historic graves—now at the heart of a preservation battle.

Quality Education and Cultural Transmission

The Nanshan preservation effort embodies SDG 4 (Quality Education) through its emphasis on cultural learning and historical consciousness. Yang’s public presentations, community workshops, and media coverage have created informal educational networks that transmit knowledge about Taiwan’s colonial history, indigenous cultures, and diaspora communities.

The “Saving Nanshan” movement has organized over 30 lectures, 33 guided tours, and seven youth workshops since 2017. These educational initiatives demonstrate how heritage preservation can serve broader goals of cultural literacy and civic engagement.

Research teams have documented over 100 historically significant graves within the cemetery, creating an invaluable database for future scholars. This systematic approach to cultural documentation aligns with OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) frameworks for protecting belief systems and cultural traditions as fundamental human rights.

Reduced Inequalities and Heritage Justice

The cemetery preservation movement addresses SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by challenging elite-driven urban-development policies that prioritize commercial interests over community cultural values. Yang’s journalism has exposed how cemetery-removal plans disproportionately affect working-class families, indigenous communities, and religious minorities whose ancestors rest in Nanshan’s grounds.

Recent discoveries illustrate this dynamic powerfully. Through research published in the “Saving Nanshan Cemetery” (守護南山公墓) book, families have reconnected with lost ancestral graves. One remarkable case involved a descendant who found his great-uncle’s tomb after decades of separation, guided by Yang’s colleague Wu Yanhang (吳延晃) and his meticulous documentation of gravestone inscriptions and family histories.

Photo by Cheng Hui ren udn.com / A man pays respects at his long-lost ancestor’s grave in Nanshan Cemetery—found after decades, thanks to research by the Saving Nanshan Cemetery team.

Illuminating the Path Forward

As Taiwan grapples with rapid modernization and urban-development pressures, the Nanshan Cemetery preservation movement offers a model for compassionate progress—development that honors ancestral memory while meeting contemporary needs. Yang’s advocacy exemplifies how journalists can serve as cultural bridges, translating academic research into public understanding and policy action.

The movement’s spiritual dimensions remind us that heritage preservation involves more than historical documentation or archaeological investigation. At its core, this work seeks to maintain connections between past, present, and future—creating continuity across generations while adapting to contemporary challenges.

In the gentle evening light filtering through Guandi Temple’s ancient eaves, surrounded by centuries of devotional art and community memory, Yang’s presentation on Nanshan Cemetery revealed profound truths about Taiwan’s cultural resilience. Like the infinite light of compassion that guides spiritual seekers across cultural boundaries, the preservation movement illuminates pathways toward more inclusive, just, and culturally sustainable futures.

The cemetery’s fate remains uncertain, but the advocacy efforts led by Yang, Professor Wei, and countless community volunteers have already achieved something remarkable: they have transformed a bureaucratic planning dispute into a profound conversation about cultural values, ancestral dignity, and the kind of society Taiwan chooses to become.

Through their patient work of documentation, education, and community organizing, these cultural guardians embody the principle that true development must honor both progress and preservation—creating space for innovation while maintaining sacred connections to the wisdom of previous generations. In this balance lies Taiwan’s pathway toward a future worthy of its extraordinary cultural heritage.

This article reflects ongoing research and advocacy efforts around Nanshan Cemetery preservation. For current updates on the cultural-heritage review process, readers should consult official Taiwan cultural affairs announcements and community advocacy-group communications.