Spectral Codex
獅潭馬偕拔牙處

Shitan Mackay Tooth Extraction Site

Locations
Shitan Mackay Tooth Extraction Site (獅潭馬偕拔牙處)
Date Captured
Camera
DC-S5M2
Lens
LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
Aperture
ƒ / 3.5
Shutter Speed
1/60 sec
Focal Length
20.0 mm
ISO
125
Exposure Value
9.5 EV
Download
3600 × 2400
A small monument has been erected at the tooth extraction site.

There is a famous photograph of Presbyterian missionary George Leslie Mackay (馬偕) and his assistant Liu Andu (劉安都) extracting teeth from residents of Shitan, at that time a frontier settlement in the hills of Miaoli. Nobody seems certain when this photograph was taken, as Mackay travelled to Shitan on a dozen occasions to preach the gospel and extract teeth, but it likely dates to the early 1890s.

Shitan Mackay Tooth Extraction Site (獅潭馬偕拔牙處)
Date Captured
Camera
DC-S5M2
Lens
LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
Aperture
ƒ / 3.9
Shutter Speed
1/60 sec
Focal Length
26.0 mm
ISO
200
Exposure Value
9.8 EV
Download
3600 × 2400
The informational plaque also features a small copy of the original photograph.

The longan tree in the photograph is still standing, and while it is located on private property, the owner is often working in the forecourt of the nearby house and welcoming to visitors. The house, named Pengcheng Hall (彭城堂), has likely been rebuilt sometime over the last century, but it is still owned by descendants of Liu Andu.

Beneath the Centennial Longan Tree (百年龍眼樹)
Date Captured
Camera
DC-S5M2
Lens
LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
Aperture
ƒ / 3.5
Shutter Speed
1/60 sec
Focal Length
20.0 mm
ISO
160
Exposure Value
9.5 EV
Download
3600 × 2400
Beneath the century-old longan tree (百年龍眼樹).
Former Residence of Liu Andu (劉安都故居)
Date Captured
Camera
DC-S5M2
Lens
LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
Aperture
ƒ / 6.3
Shutter Speed
1/320 sec
Focal Length
20.0 mm
ISO
100
Exposure Value
13.6 EV
Download
3600 × 2400
While this is not likely to be the original house on this site, it still has a classic charm, and it remains in the Liu family.
Extruded Mural at the Shitan Mackay Tooth Extraction Site (獅潭馬偕拔牙處)
Date Captured
Camera
DC-S5M2
Lens
LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
Aperture
ƒ / 5
Shutter Speed
1/1000 sec
Focal Length
20.0 mm
ISO
100
Exposure Value
14.6 EV
Download
3600 × 2400
The laneways just outside the house feature some 3-dimensional murals depicting the famous scene.

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  • Status:Private (私有)
  • Coordinates:

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Author

Profile photo of Alexander Synaptic, founder of Spectral Codex
Alexander Synaptic
Curator, Spectral Codex

I am a web application developer, photojournalist, urban explorer, and history enthusiast passionate about the open web and documenting my experiences on this planet. This project was founded in the early 2010s and has evolved into a sort of personal Wikipedia of places that interest me (and often the photographs I’ve taken there). I’m originally from Toronto, Canada, but spend most of my time residing in Taiwan.

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