Our Lady Queen of Peace of Yiwan - A crown by the Pacific

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In the coastal community of Yiwan, the temple of Our Lady Queen of Peace It rises like a clear crown in front of the Pacific. Its architecture, its history among the Amis people and an extensive network of small communities make this parish a particularly complete expression of Marian prayer for peace.

The mission began in a house Amis

In November 1953, Dutch father Jorrit de Boer of the Belén Missionary Society arrived on the eastern coast. At first he lived in the house of the catechist Amis Liu Musheng, who served as the first place of mission. The history of Yiwan thus began in the hospitality of a local family, before having a building of its own.

The parish was established in the summer of 1957. The faithful gathered resources to buy a land and raised a first church with a plant roof. The growth of the community made it necessary to acquire another plot and project a larger and longer-lasting temple.

A crown built by the community

The current building uses reinforced concrete and develops its volume through pillars and curved surfaces. Its silhouette recalls a crown, a choice consistent with the title of Mary Queen of Peace. The walls were originally white; later they received a gravel finish, retaining the white as an accent on the windows.

The official heritage source establishes the completion and consecration of the 21 October 1960. The ceremony was presided over by ecclesial authorities and confirmed the name "Queen of Peace." The temple was not just an imported copy: it was born of the economic effort of the faithful and became a visual reference of the community.

A living historical building

The Taitung Government declared the church a historic building on 31 December 2003. The reason for protection highlights both its unique form in the settlements of the eastern coast and its role as an important centre of evangelization.

Heritage protection does not transform the church into a museum. It remains a place of worship, prayer and encounter. Any restoration must take care of both the architectural integrity, the security and the needs of the community that uses the temple.

Queen of Peace in Time of War

In 1917, in the First World War, Benedict XV ordered the Latin invocation to be incorporated into the litany. Regina pavis, for nobis"Queen of Peace, pray for us." The Pope asked that this plea be ascended from large temples and small chapels, from homes, fields and seas wounded by war.

Mary is called the Queen of Peace because she is united to Christ, our peace, and because she intercedes so that hearts may abandon hatred. Prayer does not replace justice or the work of reconciliation: it sustains them and forces those who pray to become also a craftsman of peace.

Service, language and culture Amis

During the early years, the mission provided material support, child education and mobile health care in a resource-poor territory. These actions encouraged the growth of Catholic communities, but must be remembered by recognizing the role of catechists, families and responsible Amis.

The diocese confirms that today the liturgy is celebrated in mandarin and amis. The local language allows faith to be prayed from the people's own memory and transmitted between generations, without reducing the Amis identity to decoration.

Siete Centre Communities

Desde Yiwan se atienden Basangan, Danman, Wushibi, Jinalujiao, Jieqiao, Meishan y Chong’an. Un estudio histórico registra la construcción de estas capillas entre 1957 y 1971, con reformas posteriores en algunas de ellas.

Each place has its own identity, patronage and coordinates. The Yiwan tab does not replace your individual research: the Marian titles that can be verified in these communities must be incorporated into the map by means of separate pages.

Memory of those who served

The National Archive of Cultural Memory retains photographs gathered by the catechist Amis Lifok Oteng, who collaborated in evangelization between 1959 and 1973. He also reminds the father who served for thirty-nine years in Yiwan, cultivated his food and considered the community his home.

These memories help to count the parish from more than one voice: that of the missionaries who came from afar and that of the inhabitants who opened their homes, taught their language, transmitted faith and kept the photographs.

Verified location

The diocese and the heritage records coincide in Yiwan Road 108. The official religious map provides 23,21038, 121,40054. Google's individual file identifies the same building, address and property record in 23.2104382, 121.4005981; this more precise point of the temple is used on the map.

To visit

It is an active parish and a historical good. It is appropriate to confirm the schedule, respect the liturgy and not to touch or alter architectural elements. To photograph the faithful or celebrations you must ask permission. The dependent chapels should not be considered open or accessible without prior consultation.

Prayer to Our Lady Queen of Peace of Yiwan

Mary, Queen of Peace, looks at Yiwan and the communities on this coast. Save the Amis people, their tongue, their families and their memory. It comforts those who suffer from war, violence or division; it converts our hearts and teaches us to work for a peace based on truth, justice and forgiveness. Take our prayer to Jesus, Prince of Peace. Amen.

Sources consulted

• Diocese of Hualien: direction, languages and related communities.
• diocesan Directory: title and parish network.
• Ministry of the Interior: history, architecture, protection and coordinates.
• National Archive of Cultural Memory: foundation, construction, consecration and social work.
• National Archive of Cultural Memory: photographs and memory of catechists and priests.
• Eastern Taiwan History Study: Yiwan's Chronology and its Capels.
• Benedict XV: incorporation of "Queen of Peace" into the litany in 1917.

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