TAIPEI
- The Memorials -
THE NATIONAL DR. SUN YAT SEN MEMORIAL HALL
Page added: 2022-03-05
2012-02-29.035 - The Chung-shan park in the middle of Taipei. Take note of the tall building to the left, disappearing in the clouds. It is the "Taipei 101", - one of the tallest buildings in the world - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
The Chung-shan park in the middle of Taipei is not just a park with lakes and flowers, - but is also the home of the "National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall" - - -
Some of you that have not done China and Taiwan might not know who Sun Yat Sen was - and what was his claim to fame - -
Therefore I wil very shortly introduce Sun Yat Sen - - -
When the Ching Dynasty fell and Imperial China thereby ended, the question was: What to do now?
One of those who had an answer to that question was Sun Yat Sen - - -
He would simply develop China into a modern, democratic, prosperous and free nation - - -
His idea caught on, - and he did indeed become president of China, but only for a short period, since an emperor supporter - a general - removed him from his position and took over China - -
But then another general took action and removed him! He was also a general and the leader of the Chinese armed forces under Sun Yat Sen, - and he shared the same dreams for a free China as Sun Yat Sen did - -
This general was Chiang Kai Shek, - and he continued Sun Yat Sen's ideas - - -
Sun Yat Sen is therefore considered the "Father of Modern China" - and he is highly respected in both China and Taiwan - - -
But how could he be respected in China, - that eventually became a communist dictator state - far from freedom and democracy?
Sun was of course very popular with the people in China, - and in order to utilize that, they simply made him a communist, while in Taiwan he remained a fighter for democracy and freedom - - -
But was Sun Yat Sen a communist????
No - actually he wrote, that communism is NOT the right way for China, - and there is no doubt, that he really wanted to copy the Western type of democracy - - -
And his faithfull general - Chiang Kai Chek - and his succesors - managed to introduce democracy in Taiwan, and eventually made Taiwan rank in the top 10 of the richest countries in the World - -
But it all started with Sun Yat Sen - - -
2012-02-29.042 - The Chung-shan park, - with Lake Cui, - the "Emerald Pond" - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.040 - The Chung-shan park, - with the National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in the background - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.039 - The main entrance of the National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
There are a couple of memorial halls for Sun Yat Sen, - the father of modern China.
A new one, - and rather small -, which I have not yet had time to visit, has just been built in Singapore, - and an old, big one, - which I have visited -, is in Guangzhou, and furthermore there is a memorial park in Hong Kong.
I find, that the most appropriate memorial hall to Dr. Sun Yat Sen is this one in Taipei, because it is here in Taiwan, that a free and democratic China developed freely and with great success according to his ideas, and under leadership of Kuomintang, -an offspring of his original political party.
Hong Kong and Singapore are both former British colonies, and China became a communist dictatorship, that hardly would have amused Dr. Sun.
2012-02-29.001 - Side entrance to the National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.004 - Park section with statues in front of the side entrance to the National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.003 - National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, - with the "Taipei 101" building behind - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.006 - Interior of the National Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
The memorial hall contains a lot more than just the memorial itself.
There are several exhibition halls, lecture halls, a library,- and displays relating to Dr. Suns life and his revolution.
2012-02-29.007 - And here it is, - the great hall with statue and guards in honour of Dr. Sun Yat Sen - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.008 - The great Memorial Hall. Take note of the two honour guards. (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.012 Bronze statue of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, - and guard - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.010 - A soldier of the "Honor guard of R. O. C.". (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.014 - The great Memorial Hall - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.015 - Dr. Sun Yat Sen, - the Father of Modern China - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.016 - A soldier of the "Honor guard of R. O. C.". (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
012-02-29.017 - Soldiers of the "Honor guard of R. O. C." - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.020 - Changing of the guard. Every hour the guard changes, involving an interesting show of great skill and discipline - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.024 - The "Honor guard of R. O. C.", - looking highly disciplined and determined - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.031 - An immaculate soldier of the "Honor guard of R. O. C." - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
2012-02-29.026 - A final look at the "Honor guard of R. O. C." - (Photo- and copyright: Karsten Petersen)
This "Honor Guard" is a ceremonial unit where all three branches, - army, air force and navy -, is represented.
Therefore you will see slightly different uniforms at the various places where they are deployed, - all depending on which branch they belong to.
This guard is also used at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, - which will follow these pages -, and at the Martyr's Shrine, of which I also have displayed some old pics, that hopefully soon will be replaced with bigger and considerably better quality scans.
And they are REAL soldiers - NOT just for show - so please do NOT mess with them - - -