Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Reliving History in Your Own Backyard: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Why Not Make Your Sunday Afternoon Educational?

As some of you may know, I am not a history fiend; I know as much as Grade 10 history has taught me and that’s about it. Unless you want to know more about the Titanic, I don’t have an overwhelming amount of knowledge about history. As much as I enjoy learning about the past and how we came about where we are today, I much prefer to think about the future. How many countries will I travel to? What will my next tattoo be? How many beers will I drink over the holidays? You know, the real important stuff.

Coming to Taiwan, I knew there was a lot of Asian history that I would not be familiar with. Being the Republic of China, Taiwan has been through a lot with China and still does not have the best relationship with them. I won’t go into the politics of it all, but let’s just say that the people I have talked to here aren’t very happy with their current government situation. I don’t think it is comparable to America’s feelings towards Trump right now, but from my understanding, things used to be a lot better here with their former president.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Emily and I decided to expand our knowledge on our Taiwanese history and visit the iconic Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. I’ve heard this name a lot since moving to Taipei, and I have come to the conclusion that this man made a huge impact on this country. I mean, anyone who has a giant temple to commemorate his efforts should rank pretty high in history. I wanted to know just who exactly he was, and what he did for Taiwan. It’s time for your first history lessons folks! Here is what I know about Chiang Kai-shek:

1. He started off as the leader of the Kuomintang party who was working to overthrow China’s imperial dynasty. He fought against communism and the Japanese invasion before World War II.

2. After the Second World War, the Kuomintang and Communists re-ignited the civil war, and Chiang was forced out of mainland China and onto an island off of the coast. This is known as the Republic of China (R.O.C) a.k.a., Taiwan.

3. Chiang Kai-shek ruled Taiwan until his death in 1975; he fought for martial law and modernized the economy. He was recognized by many western countries for his fight against communism and valiant efforts to make Taiwan a better place for everyone.

Those are your key facts you need to know about Chiang Kai-shek. I feel like I just read a ‘History for Dummies’ book, but as long as you understand the basics, that’s all that matters. His memorial in Taipei is a huge temple to praise his life and significance to Taiwan’s independence. It is located in the middle of Liberty Square and is surrounded by parks. It is a great area to spend an afternoon relaxing and enjoying the scenery. It’s hard to believe you are in the middle of the capital city when you are here; everything just seems so peaceful. Maybe it’s because there aren’t any scooters trying to run you over everywhere you walk.

The memorial itself is huge; you have to walk up a long staircase to make it to the oversized statue of Chiang Kai-shek. I felt like I was climbing the steps to meet Rocky in Philadelphia! I just wished someone would meet me at the top with an ice, cold beer to celebrate my workout. Once you get to the top, you can walk inside to see the statue; however, it is guarded by two officers. If you’re lucky enough and time it right, you will be able to see the changing of the guards. Emily and I lucked out and made it the top just in time; I believe they change every hour, on the hour. The changing took almost 20 minutes; they put on quite the show. The guards reminded me of the ones at Buckingham Palace; they never laugh and take their job very seriously. One guard even lost his helmet during the changing and managed to keep his composure. It was definitely something to see!

Other than the statue and the awesome view of Liberty Square, the top of the memorial doesn’t have a whole lot to see. We made our way down to the bottom (like the basement) of the temple where we could go to museum. This is where all of Chiang Kai-shek’s possessions were held and you could really learn about his life. (Yes, this is where I really learned my history lesson). Not only can you learn about his importance to Taiwan, but you can also get a better understanding of his political views and homelife. They have all of his clothes, favourite foods to eat, and facts about his family all over the museum. You can really tell Chiang Kai-shek played an important role here and is truly cherished by everyone.

I definitely recommend visiting the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It is super easy to get to (it has it’s own MRT stop), and is a great way to understand more of the history and culture in Taiwan. Liberty Square is beautiful in itself; you are surrounded by Memorial Hall Square, the National Concert Hall, and the National Theatre. This is a real artsy place to hang out; there were a lot of different groups of people dancing and enjoying their Sunday afternoon. The Theatre and Concert Hall look so fancy, they even show Broadway up. Let’s just say, I don’t think you would be able to wear jeans and flip flops to one of the performances. Emily and I lucked out when we came here because there was a big farmer’s market in the middle of the square. We were able to get some of our Christmas shopping done and support the locals by purchasing their homemade goods. If you’re interested in digging a little deeper into Taiwanese history, or seeing how a local spends their weekend in the city, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is the place to go. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed! I couldn’t believe such an amazing landmark was hiding in the heart of the city. It just goes to show how important it is to explore our own neighbourhood; you never know what you will find in your own backyard!