Yesterday, we visited two of the most important memorial’s regarding modern Taiwanese history: the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial and the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial.
First we stopped at the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial which is fairly close to Dandrich’s parent’s apartment. Sun Yat-Sen is revered in both Taiwan and China. He is often called the Father of Modern China. In 1912 Sun Yat-Sen established the Republic of China after ending centuries of dynasty rule.
The memorial has a distinctive yellow roof that can be recognized from blocks away. Walking through the main entrance one meets a large statue of Sun Yat-Sen. The memorial hall also holds exhibits on painting and calligraphy. Surrounding the hall are beautiful gardens full of additional sculptures of Sun Yat-Sen.
Chiang Kai-Shek helped the allied powers defeat Japan during World War II, who until that time occupied Taiwan. After Japan’s defeat Taiwan was returned to the Republic of China. At this time, Chiang Kai-Shek was the nationalist leader of the Republic of China after Sun Yat-Sen’s death in 1925. He fought against the encroaching Communist party in China. However, eventually in 1949 Mao Zedong declared the People’s Republic of China and Chiang Kai-Shek along with his army and many other nationalists fled to Taiwan. Chiang Kai-Shek vowed to one day recapture mainland China. This is the reason for the modern day strain between China and Taiwan.
The Chiang Kai-Shek memorial seems even more impressive than the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial. The memorial hall is much taller and sits atop a large series of steps. Sitting in front of the hall are two beautiful buildings; the National Theater and the National Concert Hall. Inside the memorial hall is a huge statue of Chiang Kai-Shek. Underneath the steps to the memorial is a very nice exhibit full of Chiang Kai-Shek memorabilia that traces the history of China and Taiwan during his life.
Last time I visited the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial the memorial hall was closed by Taiwan’s Green Party. The Green Party, whose base mostly consists of those living on the island before Chiang Kai-Shek and other Nationalists retreated here, does not revere Chiang Kai-Shek in the same manner as the rest of the Taiwanese. They view him more as a cruel dictator. Luckily, since 2007 they have opened the hall back up to visitors.
As a snack we ate an interesting dish. The base of the bowl was shaved ice covered with a brown sugar sauce covered with a jello made from grass. On top of the jello were sugared green peas, lotus seeds, and bubbles from bubble tea. This is especially popular in the humid summer months as a refreshing snack.
These are so interesting, I'd love to visit them. I studied Modern China in college and these were two of the prominent figures we focused on. It'd be so cool to see it in person.
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