Intrigue at the Generalissimo’s pied-a-terre

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For nearly half a century, a 7-hectare piece of forested property in the mountains of Taoyuan County was off-limits and hidden from the public. But this May, Back Cihu (後慈湖) — which was built in the 1960s to serve as former president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) secret command center in case of a Chinese Communist invasion — was opened to tourists for the first time.

The park-like environs, located in Dasi Township (大溪鎮) (not to be confused with

the township of the same name in Ilan County) behind the already well-known Cihu (慈湖), site of Chiang’s mausoleum, are definitely worth a visit, whether or not you are a fan of the dictator.

Scenically, Back Cihu is unique. Its dense forest cover and secluded location, both of which ensured it remained hidden from enemy eyes, make the park one of the most beautiful and calming places you can find just an hour outside of Taipei. Historically, it’s a treasure trove, especially for those interested in Chiang-era intrigue.

The Taoyuan County Government officially acquired the property from the Ministry of Defense in 2007. When Back Cihu opened to the public in May, only 400 tourists were allowed each day. That number rose to 600 in August.

“Since cross-strait relations have been good, we feel it’s a good time to open this place up to the public as a tourist attraction,” said Hsieh Shyang-ling (謝祥齡), a spokeswoman for the county’s Tourism Promotion Department (桃園縣政府觀光行銷處).

To ensure visitors have a worthwhile experience, the tourism department has transformed the buildings into historical or ecological exhibition halls.

One of the most interesting of these halls houses copies of documents that reveal, for the first time, details of Chiang’s secret 1960s plan to take back China from the Communists.

Chiang did not want to go down in history as the man who lost China to communism. In the wake of the humiliation of 1949, when his defeated Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) fled to Taiwan, Chiang schemed to launch a counterattack against Mao Zedong (毛澤東).

In the mid-1960s, Chiang thought the time was right. Mao’s Great Leap Forward had led to widespread famine in China and the Communists were on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Chiang, however, needed US military support. The US was then embroiled in the Vietnam War, and Chiang offered to aid US war efforts in exchange for American assistance in fighting the Chinese Communists.

Though Washington rejected Chiang’s proposal, he nonetheless continued to plan a counteroffensive against China — nicknamed the Guoguang Project (國光計劃).

Recently revealed documents displayed at Back Cihu indicate that the plan involved 26 operations, including military exercises, amphibious landings, raids, and special operations behind enemy lines. Chiang also instructed his son Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) to devise a plan to launch an airborne attack on southern China’s Fujian and Guangdong provinces.

Information about Guoguang (National Glory) was highly classified during this period. Soldiers, who could not tell their families what mission they were training for, drew up their wills. In the meantime, Chiang Kai-shek and the generals struggled to determine the most suitable day to deploy their troops.

But unbeknownst to Chiang Kai-shek, China was prepared. On Aug. 6, 1965, in the waters off Dongshan Island near Fujian Province, Chinese forces sunk two Taiwanese naval vessels assigned to transport troops on a reconnaissance mission. Almost all of the approximately 200 servicemen on board were killed.