A man bearing an uncanny resemblance to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) has become the country’s secret weapon against Chinese communists — not fighting them, but getting them to visit Taiwan.
Lee Deng-ke (李登科), 82, once served as a bodyguard for late president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), the son of the former dictator, but only began gaining recognition when he served as a volunteer guide at a Hualien theme park after retiring from Chiang Ching-kuo’s entourage.
Visitors often mistook him for Chiang Kai-shek, giving a local travel agent the idea of using him as a draw after improving relations with Beijing opened the door to an influx of Chinese tourists.
PHOTO: TSAI CHIA-YEN, TAIPEI TIMES
Lee now serves as a tour guide for Chinese visitors to Chiang Kai-shek’s mausoleum in Tzuhu (慈湖), Taoyuan County, and Chiang’s residence in Shilin (士林), Taipei. He is often surrounded by tourists eager to have their picture taken with him at the sites.
After having met so many Chinese visitors, Lee says he can tell where in China they come from simply by the way they address him.
“People from southern China usually have a lot of respect for Chiang and [they] will call me ‘generalissimo,’ while people from northern China tend to simply call me Chiang Kai-shek,” Lee said.
Lee’s popularity reflects a new era of greater cross-strait openness that could bring more than a million Chinese tourists to Taiwan this year.
When Chinese tourists offer Lee tips after having their picture taken with him, Lee denies them the privilege of greasing the palm of “Chiang Kai-shek.”
“The ‘generalissimo’ isn’t so poor that he has to take tips,” Lee says.
Lee has received so many requests to endorse products in TV commercials that he has had to employ an agent.
He may also give politics a go.
So it should not be a surprise if he campaigns for KMT candidates during November’s election campaign.
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