A Spanish national was arrested early yesterday on suspicion of using lacquer thinner to damage a painting on the doors of the historic Cixian Temple (慈諴宮) in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林), local police said.
Taipei’s Wenlin Police Station said it received a report at about 2am yesterday about a possible act of vandalism at the temple at the Shilin Night Market (士林夜市).
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a man scrubbing the temple’s painted wooden doors with lacquer thinner and degreaser, causing the paint to smear and turn white.
Photo courtesy of Taipei police
The suspect, identified as a 53-year-old Spaniard, told police that after drinking at home, he had gone out and noticed the poor condition of the doors, so he had brought supplies to clean them.
Although the man has not been identified by name, he is said to be an artist who has previously helped restore paintings and eaves at temples across the nation.
Wenlin Police Station Chief Wang Sheng-chieh (王聖傑) told reporters that the suspect had damaged the historic temple “for no reason” and that “there need to be legal consequences.”
He said that Article 103 of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act (文化資產保存法) states that damaging a cultural artifact is punishable by six months to five years in prison and a fine of NT$500,000 to NT$20 million (US$15,662 to US$626,488.).
The Cixian Temple, which is dedicated to the sea goddess Matsu, was founded in 1796 and moved to its current location in 1864, the Ministry of the Interior said.
The artwork on the damaged temple doors was painted by Tainan-born artist Chen Yu-feng (陳玉峰) in 1960.
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