Cuti-Cuti Taiwan: National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan

Location: National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan

Date of photo: 28/04/17

Camera/Lens: Sony ILCE-7M2/FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan.

The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Liberty Square. The structure is framed on the north and south by the National Theatre and National Concert Hall.

In February 2017 Taiwan's Ministry of Culture announced plans to transform the hall into a national centre for “facing history, recognizing agony, and respecting human rights.” A corresponding de-emphasis of the Chiang personality cult is underway as proposals for transforming the hall are reviewed.

The Memorial Hall is white with four sides. The roof is blue and octagonal, a shape that picks up the symbolism of the number eight, a number traditionally associated in Asia with abundance and good fortune. Two sets of white stairs, each with 89 steps to represent Chiang's age at the time of his death, lead to the main entrance. The ground level of the memorial houses a library and museum documenting Chiang Kai-shek's life and career and exhibits related to Republic of China-era Chinese history, and Taiwan's history and development.

The upper level contains the main hall, in which a large statue of Chiang Kai-shek is located, and where a guard mounting ceremony takes place in regular intervals.