The human rights exhibit at National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall concluded on Monday, but the 228 Incident Memorial Foundation said it would not remove the metal scaffolding that surrounds a large bronze statue of the dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
The oversized canvas decorated with a wild lily - a symbol of Taiwan's student movement - and pictures depicting life during the Martial Law era will also remain at the hall, the foundation said.
Foundation member Lin Chen-feng (林辰鋒) said the organization was negotiating with the Ministry of Education on how best to transform the hall into a venue for artistic appreciation without diminishing its ability to educate visitors about the Taiwan's democratization.
PHOTO: CNA
The ministry said it would approve the foundation's plans provided they did not require additional funding.
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), the surviving grandson of Chiang Kai-shek, visited the hall yesterday morning after learning that the foundation had removed the kites surrounding his grandfather's statue.
He expressed disappointment at the foundation's decision not to remove the other decorations it had placed in the hall.
"I regret the foundation's insistence on retaining the items surrounding the statue," Chiang said when approached for comment. "It is very inappropriate."
The hall, formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, is a source of contention between the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their