Ciwang.Iwal (1872-1946) was the first Truku Christian to be baptized. When Ciwan was in trouble, she met Li Shuiche of the Hualien Port Church who preached the gospel to her. In June of the 13th year of Taisho (1924), she was baptized by Pastor Liu Junchen of the Hualien Port Church and became the first Christian of the Truku tribe. In the 4th year of the Showa era (1929), when Pastor Sun Yage, a missionary, went to the east, he personally brought Ciwang to Tamsui Women's Bible College for theological training. After graduation, she returned home to preach the gospel to her people. After Ciwang passed away, a proposal was put forward in 1958 to set up a Memorial Church in Fushi Village. The proposal got approved, and fundraising began. With the sponsorship of various churches and foreign believers, the construction was completed in the summer of 1961. The inauguration ceremony was held on November 29 of the same year. It was named Ciwang Memorial Church.
Presbyterian Church
The Memorial Monument to the Centenary of Church Establishment in Eastern Taiwan is located in the Shiyusan Recreation Area in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. The monument mainly tells the story of the introduction of the Presbyterian Church to eastern Taiwan. At the end of the Qing period, Zhang Yuanchun, a follower from Aligang in Pingtung County, moved to Shiyusan and used holy water to heal Shiyusan chief’s asthma. He then established the Xun-Guang-Ao Church that was later known as the Shiyusan (Stone Umbrella) Church, and opened up the missionary history in eastern Taiwan.
At the end of the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan vigorously promoted the imperialism movement, and so church services became secret gatherings. Later, the Xingang Church was established and took on the followers of the Shiyusan Church, and a monument was established in 1997 to commemorate it.