Teacher Wang Compound

Date CapturedAugust 4th, 2017 at 07:33 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 9Shutter Speed1/320 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

In 2011 a self-proclaimed prophet named Wang Chaohong (王超弘), known as “Teacher Wang”, predicted a magnitude 14 earthquake would split Taiwan in half on May 11th, which came to be known as the 511 Doomsday Prophecy (511末日預言). He leased land in Puli, assembled 200 shipping container shelters stocked with supplies, and attracted numerous followers in the wake of the devastating Tōhoku earthquake earlier that year.

Date CapturedAugust 4th, 2017 at 07:33 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IIApertureƒ / 9Shutter Speed1/320 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO200Exposure Value14.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

The predicted earthquake failed to materialize, Wang was fined NT$40,000 for inciting panic, and spent the rest of his days in this shipping container compound with a fictitious self-assigned address until passing in 2018. A sign with the inscription “birds and beasts script” (鳥獸文) still hangs outside the dwelling.