Penghu temple altar swapped out by thieves

澎湖寺廟神壇被小偷調包

Criminal group swaps antique altar table with replica as theft goes unnoticed for years


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Penghu’s Hejie Weiyang Temple (威揚宮) had no idea that a centuries-old dragon-themed altar had gone missing, leaving devotees making offerings on a replica for at least three years.

Suspicions began to arise after a netizen noticed issues with the dragon emblazoned altar on social media, according to CNA. Temple authorities contacted local police, who began an investigation to help recover the antique, which had been the centerpiece of the temple.

The Weiyang Temple dates back to the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty, a period where arts and craft flourished around 200 years ago. The temple was renovated and expanded in 1923, and underwent many reconstructions to better preserve a number of prized antiques.

A researcher of history and literature, surnamed Kuo (郭), a few days ago, discovered a post on social media that resembled the altar owned by the temple. After comparing photos taken by visiting tour groups, he noticed the original altar was still in place in 2019, but it suddenly changed in 2020.

After further investigation, his suspicions were confirmed. The temple suspected a criminal group may have been working behind the scenes to execute the swap. There was a fear that other Penghu temples might have been similarly duped.

After receiving the report, Baisha Police Precinct took up the case and began to identify suspects. Due to the large size of the altar table, and the complexity of producing a replica, police suspected a large criminal group was involved.

The police investigation found that the original dragon altar had been moved to Kaohsiung's Cianjin District. Baisha Police Precinct Chief Lu Wenting (呂文廷) is confident the case will be solved and that all criminal parties involved will be apprehended.

The case has highlighted wider ranging concerns that ancient cultural relics could easily be looted as few temples use surveillance cameras and employ minimal security.?