As the US wrestles with the problem of what to do with monuments to a divisive history, Taiwan has found a solution — a park dedicated to unwanted statues of a controversial figure from its past.
More than 200 memorials to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), the former Nationalist leader who is revered as a hero by some but despised as a dictator by others, have been quietly removed from schools and government buildings and brought together in a serene lakeside spot.
Each day, tourists roam among the 253 figures at the Cihu Memorial Sculpture Park, which come in a variety of colors — some teal, some bronze and some copper red.
Photo: AFP
The largest piece is an imposing figure of a seated Chiang, removed from a government office in Kaohsiung in 2007.
Close by are two sculptures of Chiang’s son Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), who along with his father oversaw the White Terror era.
Today the statues are less revered monuments and more popular selfie spots, where tourists pose alongside the hotchpotch of weathered busts and towering casts.
“We don’t see [these] statues as political totems. We treat them as historical and cultural heritage,” Taoyuan city official Huang Chao-jin said.
Like the US’ pro-slavery Confederate leader Robert E. Lee, Chiang Kai-shek’s role in Taiwan’s past continues to polarize its present. Both generals fought and lost civil wars — in Chiang Kai-shek’s case he led the Nationalist retreat to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War; both are symbols of a noble past to their supporters, and of a dark history to their detractors.
However, while lawmakers and activists in the US’ south grapple over whether to destroy, cover up or honor memorials to Lee and his fellow generals, Taiwanese authorities say the relocated Chiang Kai-shek statues — shorn of their original context — have lost their partisan edge and have become a popular tourist draw.
Although there is no tally of visitor numbers to the statue park, located a stone’s throw from Chiang Kai-shek’s mausoleum in Taoyuan, about 2.2 million people come to the area.
Among them, people who have come to pay their respects to a man who waged war against China. They rub shoulders with visitors from China, who remember a leader who fought bravely against the Imperialist Japanese.
“Mr Chiang [Kai-shek] was an extraordinary man. We in China are grateful for what he did in the war against the Japanese,” said Dai Yukuan from China’s Anhui Province, visiting Taiwan for the first time. “After all, it is all in the past. What we Chinese really want is cross-strait peace.”
The serene park offers a stark contrast to events in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this month, where a violent rally by right-wing groups to protest the removal of a statue of Lee descended into chaos.
One woman was killed after a white supremacist allegedly plowed his car into a group of counterprotesters.
US President Donald Trump condemned the “foolish” removal of Confederate statues, saying US culture and history were being “ripped apart.”
In Taiwan, the debate over history continues, but is more measured.
In Taipei earlier this year, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorail Hall stopped selling souvenirs depicting the former leader.
The decision was taken on the 70th anniversary of a brutal massacre of protesters by troops from Chiang Kai-shek’s Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), when Taiwan was still under martial law.
Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said at the time that Chiang Kai-shek had left a “deep scar hidden in the hearts of all Taiwanese.”
However, at the statue park, even as the number of memorials grows each year, their divisive power appears to have drained away.
“It doesn’t feel like the statues were moved here willingly to be commemorated,” said Lin Hui-chun, 33. “There’s more a feeling of abandonment.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS