Yun-lin massacre (Chinese:雲林大屠殺) is a 1896 massacre inYunlin in theTaiwan under Japanese rule. As for the number of victims, there are views ranging from 6,000[1] or 10,000[2] to 30,000.[3]
In 1894, theFirst Sino-Japanese War erupted. TheQing dynasty was defeated byEmpire of Japan and signed theTreaty of Shimonoseki, cedingTaiwan and thePenghu. In 1895, Japanese forces advanced into Taiwan. Armedanti-Japanese resistance activities surged across Taiwan.
In 1896, the Taiwan Governor-General's Office announced the transition from military to civilian rule effective April 1st. To suppress anti-Japanese activities led by figures like Ko Tie (柯鐵), Japanese forces occupiedDouliu Street. On April 12th, Major Shimada launched a punitive expedition against Jian Yi in Henglu Village, Yunlin. Jian Yi escaped, prompting Shimada to “withdraw his troops, assemble in the northern open field, and execute the prisoners.” . This enraged the anti-Japanese forces in Tiegushan. TakingLugu,Nantou as their base, they led over 600 men to ambush the Japanese troops.
On June 13, a Japanese-owned shop was looted. Yunlin Subprefectural Chief Matsumura Yujin, along with the Military Police Captain and Garrison Captain, launched a pursuit. They learned the resistance forces had gathered at Dapingding. On June 14, Lieutenant Nakamura Michiaki of the Yunlin Garrison led over 20 troops to reconnoiter Dapingding. Imamura Heizo, citing insufficient manpower and unfamiliarity with the terrain, warned that “regret would follow,” but Nakamura disregarded the advice and rashly advanced. They fell into an ambush by militia forces, suffering heavy casualties. Over half were killed, and the wounded Nakamura Michiaki committed suicide. The following day, Japanese forces retaliated by burning homes and deliberately killing civilians. In June, the Japanese 2nd Brigade attacked Yunlin with the Taichung 1st Regiment. Matsumura Yūji claimed, "there are no good people under Yunlin's jurisdiction". Beginning June 17, Japanese forces from Taichung, Chiayi, and Changhua were assembled in Douliu. Local guide Wu Ming led them toward Dapingding. However, upon entering Xiaopingding, the Japanese encountered an ambush. Lieutenant Nakamura Masana was captured alive and executed by slow slicing. An urgent telegram was sent to the Governor-General's Office requesting reinforcements. Morale among the militia soared. Ko Tie and his followers elected Kán Gī (簡義), a formerBlack Flag Army member, as their leader and declared 1896 the "First Year of Heaven's Mandate" (天運元年).[4][5][6]
From June 20 to 23, massive Japanese forces were assembled. Villages were branded as "bandit dens" and burned to the ground. Inhuman reprisal massacres occurred everywhere, including the slaughter of women and children. A total of 4,925 civilian homes were set ablaze, drawing international media condemnation of the Japanese government.
Japan's own post-event statistics reported 56 villages destroyed and 4,925 civilian homes burned. Douliu Street and Shiguixi Village suffered the most severe devastation. When Kodama Squadron, which had attacked Tien-kuo Mountain, withdrew from Lin-chi-pu (present-day Zhushang Township, Nantou County) back to Yunlin, they set fires along the way. The villages of Jiou-k'ung-lin, Shih-liu-pan, and Hai-feng-lun were reduced to scorched earth, and innocent civilians were killed without cause.[2][7]
In the wake of this incident, the Japanese government took advantage of local administrative reforms to abolish the name Yunlin, replacing it with Douliu as the official designation for the region.[8]
During this massacre, Japan further leveraged the Qing dynasty's legacybaojia system, maintaining this structure to compel Taiwanese residents to monitor one another. This practice compensated for inadequate police oversight and enabled more effective control over Taiwan.[9]