TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A machine gun bullet from World War II was recently found lodged in the roof of a temple in southern Taiwan.

While repairing a leak in the roof of Shanxing Temple in Tainan City's Jiali District, workers discovered a machine gun bullet lodged in a ridged structure of the roof, according to the Tainan Cultural Assets Protection Association. The association stated that the temple was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1836 and has been suffering some serious leaks, as it had not been renovated for quite some time.

Representatives from the temple noted that towards the end of WWII, allied warplanes had bombed and fired upon various cities and key facilities across Taiwan. They said that the bullet had likely impacted the structure when a fighter plane fired on the area during a strafing run, causing cracks in the roof.

Beimen District's famous literatus Wu Sin-Rong (吳新榮) kept a detailed record of the war years in Tainan. According to the association, Wu's accounts revealed that allied warplanes bombed Jiali District several times in May and June 1945.

The temple is currently undergoing emergency repairs and is in need of a more extensive renovation to fully address the leaks and deterioration, according to temple management.

Worker points to location where bullet was found. (Shanxing Temple photo)

(Shanxing Temple photo)

(Shanxing Temple photo)