Did You Know That … ?
- More than 40,000 pieces of animal and fishbone tools and stone artifacts have been unearthed from the Basian Caves in southeastern Taiwan. Radiocarbon dating performed by the U.S.-based BETA Laboratory have dated the first human activities in the Basian Caves back to 25,000 years ago.
- Although the Basian site received designation as a Class I national historic site in 1988, many of the caves have been occupied by temples and their worshippers. Precious materials in the soil were also lost or damaged during the construction of such temples.
- Local governments and the scenic area administration have filed theft charges against some occupants, but lost their cases as such action does not constitute an offense if the peaceful occupation have been in place for more than 20 years. Relocation proposals have also fallen through due to disputes over compensation.
Read more about the caves here or scroll down for pictures.
