山下私設埤圳碑

Yamashita Private Irrigation Canal Monument

April 20th, 2024

Last updated June 20th, 2026

Yamashita Private Irrigation Canal Monument (山下私設埤圳碑) — The back face of the stele.

A small stone stele commemorating the reconstruction of an irrigation canal next to the mountains in Shoufeng in March 1935. It was funded by the townspeople of the nearby Yamashita (山下) community, an outpost of the larger Fengtian Immigrant Village (豐田移民村). The inscription credits a founder named Sunada Yasuji (砂田保次) and 123 others; its front face was later cemented over and defaced after the Japanese settlers and colonial administration departed. Long mistaken for a land deity (地神) marker, the stone was correctly identified only in 2003, when it was more closely inspected during canal repairs.

The monument is difficult to reach from the roadside; look for it next to the irrigation canal below the roadbed (e.g. toward the valley), and be prepared to navigate a treacherous slope or bushwhack through the undergrowth if you wish to see the front face of the stele, which is mounted on an impressive natural rock outcrop. Access is also possible by following the irrigation canal below.