Shitan Mackay Tooth Extraction Site (獅潭馬偕拔牙處) - Spectral Codex
Spectral Codex
獅潭馬偕拔牙處

Locations
A small monument has been erected at the tooth extraction site.
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.

The informational plaque also features a small copy of the original photograph.
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 century-old longan tree (百年龍眼樹).
Beneath the century-old longan tree (百年龍眼樹).
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.
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.
The laneways just outside the house feature some 3-dimensional murals depicting the famous scene.
The laneways just outside the house feature some 3-dimensional murals depicting the famous scene.

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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.