Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall facts for kids
| 國立中正紀念堂 | |
 |
|
| Coordinates | 25°2′4″N 121°31′18″E / 25.03444°N 121.52167°E |
|---|---|
| Location | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Designer | Yang Cho-cheng |
| Type | Memorial |
| Material | Concrete and marble |
| Height | 76 m (249 ft) |
| Beginning date | October 31, 1976 |
| Completion date | April 5, 1980 |
| Dedicated to | Chiang Kai-shek |
| Website | |
| National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 國立中正紀念堂 | ||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国立中正纪念堂 | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a huge monument and a popular place for tourists. It was built to remember Chiang Kai-shek. He was a former leader of Taiwan. The hall is located in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan.
This important building is part of a large park. It stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square. On its sides are the National Theater and the National Concert Hall.
Contents
Exploring the Memorial Hall
The Memorial Hall is a striking white building. It has a beautiful blue, eight-sided roof. The number eight is special in Chinese culture. It often means good luck and lots of good things.
To reach the main entrance, you climb two sets of white stairs. Each set has 89 steps. This number represents Chiang Kai-shek's age when he passed away.
Inside, the ground floor has a library and a museum. Here, you can learn about Chiang Kai-shek's life. You can also discover more about Taiwan's history. The top floor holds the main hall. A large statue of Chiang Kai-shek stands there. You can also watch a special guard changing ceremony at certain times.
Building the Memorial
Chiang Kai-shek died on April 5, 1975. After his death, the government decided to build a memorial for him. They held a competition to choose the best design. Architect Yang Cho-cheng won with his plan.
Yang's design used many traditional Chinese building styles. It was inspired by the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in mainland China. Sun Yat-sen was a respected founder of the political party Chiang Kai-shek led.
Construction began on October 31, 1976. This date was Chiang's 90th birthday. The hall officially opened on April 5, 1980. This was five years after his death.
Yang's design placed the main hall at the east end of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park. This park covers a huge area of about 240,000 square meters. The main entrance gate is called the Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness. There are also side gates: the Gate of Great Loyalty and the Gate of Great Piety. A long path called the Boulevard of Homage connects the main hall to the square.
The Hall's Role in History
After it opened, the square became a popular spot for large gatherings in Taipei. Many of these events helped shape Taiwan's journey to democracy. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the hall and square were central to important pro-democracy protests.
One of the most important events was the Wild Lily student movement in 1990. These student rallies led to big political changes in Taiwan. They helped bring about the first popular elections for national leaders in 1996.
Because of its role in Taiwan's democracy, the plaza was renamed Liberty Square in 2007. The Memorial Hall was also briefly renamed to honor democracy. However, the original name honoring Chiang Kai-shek was later brought back for the hall. The name Liberty Square for the plaza stuck and is still used today.
In 2017, the Ministry of Culture announced plans for the hall. They want to make it a place for learning about history and human rights. Experts are helping to plan how to change the hall. Public discussions about these changes began in 2018.
Today, the main gate of the plaza says Liberty Square. The writing style is very old and famous Chinese calligraphy. It looks lively and free. The words are written from left to right now. This is the modern way in Taiwan. Before, they were written from right to left, the old traditional way. See:
In 2018, some student activists protested at the hall. They threw paint on the statue of Chiang Kai-shek. In 2019, the hall hosted an art show. The art was by Chinese artist Ling Feng. His 88 artworks criticized strict governments and leaders.
Gallery
-
Aerial view of the Memorial Hall
-
View of the front gate
-
Guard in the main chamber
-
The lower level exhibition area
-
Taipei Lantern Festival festivities on the square (2004)
-
Gardens in the grounds of the Memorial Hall
-
The Gate of Great Piety, a side gate
-
Door knocker on a lower level entrance
-
The Memorial Hall
-
Corner view of the memorial
-
Tank displayed next to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial for the Discovery Channel
-
The changing of the guard ceremony
See also
In Spanish: Salón Conmemorativo de Chiang Kai-shek para niños
- National Theater and Concert Hall
- Liberty Square (Taipei)
- Presidential Office Building
- Wild Lily student movement
- List of museums in Taiwan
