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Part of the landscape, but not really given much thought, paifang 牌坊, also known as a pailou 牌樓, are a part of traditional Chinese architecture. They are generally an arch used as a gateway. But they are not just decorative, they have a long history and deep significance. In this first chat of 2025, John and Eryk muse about archways, filial piety, and chastity, and then detour into Taiwanese military prostitution and brothels. Happy New Year and perhaps you’d care to join the Formosa Files team in a new year’s resolution: pay more attention to things around us that might seem mundane, and discover the stories behind them.
Cover images show (left) a paifang 牌坊, also known as a pailou 牌樓, leading to a temple in Chiayi County, and right: two examples of Japanese torii, also in Chiayi County. All images by John Ross.
Photo and info via Military Brothel Exhibition Hall "The Military Brothel Exhibition Hall in Xiaojing Village nicknamed '831' (or 'military wonderland') was renovated in 2010 and made a tourist attraction ... [at one point during high tensions with the PRC] as many as 100,000 soldiers were stationed in Kinmen. Due to the fact that in-training and on-duty soldiers were prohibited from getting married by the Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan) Ministry of National Defense, and that a vacation system was incomplete, the first military brothel was established to satisfy the sexual needs of soldiers stationed in Kinmen in 1951."
Info and image above via Kinmen Travel: "Ciou Liang-Gong began his career as an ordinary soldier but through valor in battle was ultimately promoted to Admiral of Zhejiang. In August 1809, Ciou led the pursuit of the pirate Tsai Chien and eventually forced Tsai to scuttle his own ship in despair. As reward, Ciou was named a Baron of the 3rd Rank. In 1817, he traveled to the capitol to receive his award but unfortunately passed away while returning home. The Imperial government granted him a burial with full honors and a posthumous promotion to general. The Tomb of Ciou Liang-Gong is laid out in a manner befitting a Qing Dynasty military officer of the first rank. It is located in Siaojing Village and was built in 1819. The tomb faces the south and has pairs of stone servants, horses, tigers and sheep set at the front of the tomb. It is today the largest and most intact Qing Dynasty military officer's tomb in Kinmen."
The famous torii at Itsukushima Shrine
WIKI: A torii Japanese: 鳥居, is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to travel through.
Join the Formosa Files team in a new year’s resolution: pay more attention to things around us that might seem mundane, and discover the stories behind them.
Do us a favor and rate/review the show! It really helps. Do it on Apple Podcasts or here on our website.
Write us with questions or ideas at formosafiles@gmail.com
AND THE BIGGEST REQUEST: tell others about this free, not-for-profit resource about Taiwan.
Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
