The Institute of Yilan County History on Thursday unveiled a memorial dedicated to Taiwanese democracy pioneer and nationalist Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) at the site of the activist’s former Yilan City residence.
Born in Yilan in 1891, Chiang was an anti-colonialist who contested Japanese rule and was also the founder of the Taiwan Minpao newspaper, the Taiwanese People’s Party, a labor union and other pro-democracy groups.
The ceremony was presided over by Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tsung Hsien (林聰賢), Yilan Mayor Chiang Tsung-yuan (江聰淵), and Chiang Wei-shui Cultural Foundation executive director Chiang Chao-ken (蔣朝根), who is also Chiang Wei-shui’s grandson.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
The memorial consists of a plaque and a colonial-style wooden door, behind which historical information about Chiang Wei-shui is displayed over a photocopy of an issue of Taiwan Minpao.
Chiang Wei-shui’s house no longer exists, but the institute tracked down its former location and erected the memorial on a wall near the intersection of Jhongshan (中山) and Mincyuan (民權) roads, event organizer You Yuan-kiang (游源鏗) said.
The door symbolizes the opening of a vista through which visitors can learn about Taiwan and Chiang Wei-shui’s history, You said, adding that Taiwan Minpao was chosen to represent Chiang Wei-shui’s many achievements.
Lin said that Chiang Wei-shui was a “pioneer of Taiwanese social activism” and a “political reformer” who showed “relentless” determination in striving for “the good of the people living at the bottom of society.”
“A man with the conviction to stand up for the people in those times is a worthy example,” Lin said, adding that he hopes the memorial can pass the torch of Chiang Wei-shui’s spirit to the next generation.
Chiang Chao-ken said that many people recognize Chiang Wei-shui’s name, but cannot recall his contributions to Taiwan, adding that he hopes the memorial can address that by keeping the memory of his grandfather alive.
The memorial’s unveiling is part of a series of commemorative events to mark the reinterring of his ashes from Taipei to Yilan County’s Wei-shui Hill (渭水之丘) in the Cherry Blossom Cemetery (櫻花陵園), which is scheduled to take place today.
Concerts honoring Chiang Wei-shui are to be held today and tomorrow in Yilan City.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RSS