Tiger Inscription before being spray painted

New Taipei City Government on Sunday sent a qualified stonemason to assess the damage spray-painted graffiti had inflicted to the Tiger Inscription, a well-known national historical site from Qing Dynasty, and to figure out how to restore the cultural and historical treasure. Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration said it received reports from mountain climbers on Oct. 5 that the historical Tiger Inscription rock near the top of the Caoling Historic Trail was spray painted with malice content. Upon receiving the reports, the scenic area administration said it immediately referred the case to local police and the city’s Cultural Affairs Department (CAD). The red spray-painted graffiti, which has some defamatory words about former President Ma Ying-jeou, has damaged the grade-three historical site, the CAD said.The CAD added that it had referred the case to police for investigation and prosecution of the violation as damaging a historical site is punishable by the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. The Tiger Inscription, which is located on the roadside near the highest part of the trail in Gongliao District, is a rock with carved inscription of the Chinese word “Tiger.” The inscription, carved in 1867, was the calligraphy by Liu Ming-deng, who was regional commander of the military in Taiwan at the time of the Qing Dynasty. Liu’s party was assailed by strong gales as they reached this point, and the inscription was intended to calm the tumult (since the tiger was believed to have the power to command the wind), according to the history. The Caoling Historic Trail is one of the few remaining stretches of the Danlan Historic Trail, which once connected the Taipei area with the fertile but then-remote east-coast plains of present-day Yilan County. The trail is now accessible from Fulong Railway Station or Dali Railway Station.The Tiger Inscription is one of two boulders along the trail carved in 1867, with calligraphy by Liu. The other is a huge boulder inscribed with four Chinese characters that proclaim “Boldly Quell the Violent Mists.”The scenic area administration said it had assigned personnel on Monday to assist the stonemason in assessing the damage, adding that according to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, damaging a historical site is a crime punishable with a prison term of more than six months and less than five years, and a combined fine of NT$500,000 to NT$20 million. As a matter of fact, similar red spray-painted graffiti with the same handwriting have also been found on cliffs along the famous Sandiaoling Waterfall Trail. The scenic area administration urged the public to cherish natural landscapes and historical treasures.