Early Republic Kinmen Prison Steles No Longer Dust-Covered; Century-Old Artifacts Reappear at Military Headquarters

(Central News Agency reporter Wu Wen-jung, Kinmen, 22nd) The "Kinmen County New Prison Stele," a stone monument with over a century of history recording the construction of a prison in Kinmen during the early Republic of China period, was recently re-erected beside the wall of the Qing Kinmen Military Headquarters. The Cultural Affairs Bureau stated it plans to research the evolution of Kinmen's prisons and the historical development of the Military Headquarters area.

The two stone monuments, the "Kinmen County New Prison Stele" and the "Kinmen County Prison Construction Donation Inscription," carved in the early years of the Republic, had been stored in a warehouse for many years. Recently, the Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau collaborated with local craftsmen to erect the steles next to the wall of the Qing Kinmen Military Headquarters.

Kinmen County Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Chen Jung-chang, in an interview with CNA today, said the "Kinmen County New Prison Stele" documents the process of constructing the prison and the donations from local gentry after Kinmen's administrative level was elevated to a county in the early Republic. The steles were previously kept in the Military Headquarters' warehouse and were only discovered when the warehouse was being cleared out to serve as office space during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chen mentioned that the steles were initially moved to the Kinmen Museum of History and Folklore for preservation. Recently, due to other uses for the museum's space, the steles were transported back to the Military Headquarters during artifact organization and were re-erected using a steel support structure.

Chen added that the inscriptions reveal Kinmen's past history and the environmental evolution around the Military Headquarters. The bureau plans to invite local historians to research the changes in Kinmen's prisons and the development of the area around the Headquarters. This history could be paired with the Kinmen Houpu Town Night Tour to give the guided experience a richer narrative.

Chen, a former journalist, also shared that during past interviews with victims of the White Terror in Kinmen, some mentioned being taken near the Military Headquarters for interrogation. "Could that location have been the old Kinmen prison? With more research, we might find some connections."

Regarding the use of a steel structure to support the steles, Chen explained that while cement bases are more commonly used for erecting monuments, removing such a base if future relocation is needed could damage the stele itself. Therefore, a steel structure that is easier to dismantle and move was chosen. (Editor: Wu Su-jou) 1150422