Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall 国立中正纪念堂

The centerpiece of Liberty Square in Taipei is undoubtedly the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. The imposing structure is built like a small pagoda. The white walls of the memorial hall contrast with the blue tiles of the roof giving a rather unique like quite distinct from traditional Chinese structures. While the memorial hall dominates the landscape, it still gives the impression of being small. This is primarily due to the the large door which may appear to be smaller than it looks but it is actually a massive portal into the memorial hall. One needs to climb stairs to get to the hall itself.

The central hall itself also resonates with the rest of the structure having minimal designs. At the center of the hall is the statue of Chiang Kai Shek 蒋介石 who was the leader of the Republic of China. After his defeat in the Chinese civil war, the fled to the island of Taiwan from where he ruled. Like a lot of leaders, there was also much to dislike about Chiang Kai Shek, however, it can be said that Taiwan won’t be the way it is right now without this man. For this reason, the memorial hall was built after his death. Curiously, he isn’t actually buried here. He is currently buried at Cihu in Taoyuan City, not too far away. The wish was that he be buried in his hometown in mainland China.

[xmlgm {http://www.worldwanderings.net/kml/ChiangKaiShekMemorialHall.kmz} zoom=19]