Monument unveiled commemorating first European to land on Taiwan east coast

Taipei, June 5 (CNA) A monument commemorating the first European to land on Taiwan's east coast in the 18th century and symbolizing Slovakia-Taiwan friendship was unveiled in eastern Yilan County on Wednesday by local officials and a delegation from Slovakia.

The ceremony to unveil the bronze monument commemorates the landing of adventurer Count Móric Beňovský's on Taiwan's east coast near present-day Suao Township, Yilan County in 1771. Beňovský is considered to be the first European to visit the east coast of Taiwan.

The monument stands at the Suao Township's Tofu Cape Sailing training center, which is said to be close to where Beňovský landed in the late 18th century.

The 3.12 meter-tall, 500 kilogram monument was made by a Slovakian designer and shipped to Taiwan in late May, according to Yilan County government.

Beňovský was born in 1741 in Verbó, in the former Kingdom of Hungary, which is Vrbové village in the Trnava Region of Slovakia today. The military officer, adventurer and writer is considered a national hero in Slovakia.

According to Yilan County government, during his 16-day stay in 1771, Beňovský encountered local Indigenous Kavalan people and explored the area. Taiwan and Slovakia consider the historical figure and his 250-plus year old expedition as marking the start of Taiwan-Slovakia exchanges.

Wednesday's ceremony was attended by acting Yilan County Magistrate Lin Mao-sheng (林茂盛), representatives from Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovakia representative to Taiwan Bruno Hromý and a delegation from Trnava Region led by Governor Jozef Viskupič which donated the statue.

According to Viskupič, the Trnava region signed a cooperative agreement on culture and education with Yilan County government in 2022, and donated the commemorative monument of Beňovský to the county as a symbol of friendship.