Kouhu Xialiao Wanshan Collective Burial Mound

Behind the Wanshan Temple in Xialiao, Kouhu Township, there are over 300 small burial mounds containing the ashes of ancestors who perished in a tsunami 161 years ago. Locals refer to these as the 'Wanshan Collective Graves,' and they have now been designated as a historical site in Yunlin County. Nearby residents say that every time they try to count the exact number of graves, they can never get a clear count, and everyone's result is different, which is quite peculiar. To commemorate the ancestors who perished that year, the Wanshan Shrine in Hanzailiao, Old Jinhu Port, Kouhu Township, and the Jinhu Wanshanye Temple in the Jinhu area hold grand memorial ceremonies annually on the 7th and 8th days of the 6th lunar month. These ceremonies also gave rise to the 'Qianshui (Water Guiding Lanterns)' ritual, which is a rare folk ritual in Taiwan for victims of water disasters.