Keelung police detain suspects for exploding statues in Eighteen Arhat Cave

Police in Keelung have detained two suspects following the vandalism of religious statues at the Eighteen Arhat Cave. The suspects reportedly used homemade explosives, identified as firecrackers, to destroy several figures, including a statue of the Warring States period General Tian Dan and a statue of Zen Master Shenxiu.

The perpetrators filmed the destruction and uploaded the footage to social media platforms like Instagram and Threads to gain internet traffic. In one video, they boasted that “the famous general of Qi ultimately could not withstand modern high technology, the great general is dead.”

The Eighteen Arhat Cave has been largely idle for thirty years following damage from Typhoon Herb in 1996. The Keelung City Police Second Precinct, working with forensic and criminal investigation units, has detained two primary suspects and summoned six men and two women for questioning. The suspects face potential charges of public danger and property damage under the Criminal Code.