History
This memorial hall was originally established to commemorate Chiang Kai-Shek and drive culture promotion activities. After he passed away in 1975, people in Taiwan and certain of the overseas Chinese proposed to establish a memorial hall to express their respect for the leader. The site of the Memorial Hall was originally a military base and was later decided to be used as the location used for the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. The main hall was opened to the public on April 5,1980. The History Center displays files, relics and photos from the very beginning until the final stage of the construction of the memorial hall.
Introduction
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (Chinese: 中正紀念堂) is a national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan.
The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Liberty Square. It is flanked on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall.
The monument underwent a controversial renaming process in 2007 under Chen Shui-bian's government, which was subsequently reverted in 2009 with a change of government. In February 2017 Taiwan's Ministry of Culture announced plans to transform the hall into a national center for “facing history, recognizing agony, and respecting human rights.” A corresponding de-emphasis of Chiang's personality cult is underway as proposals for transforming the hall are reviewed.
The Memorial Hall is white with four sides. The roof is blue and octagonal, a shape that picks up the symbolism of the number eight, a number traditionally associated in Asia with abundance and good fortune. Two sets of white stairs, each with 89 steps to represent Chiang's age at the time of his death, lead to the main entrance. The ground level of the memorial houses a library and a museum documenting Chiang Kai-shek's life and career, with exhibits detailing Taiwan's history and development. The upper level contains the main hall, in which a large statue of Chiang Kai-shek is located, and where a guard mounting ceremony takes place at regular intervals.
After President Chiang Kai-shek died on 5 April 1975, the Executive branch of the government established a Funeral Committee to build a memorial. The design, by architect Yang Cho-cheng, was chosen in a competition. Yang's design incorporated many elements of traditional Chinese architecture to recall the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, China. (The Kuomintang, or KMT, revered Dr. Sun as founder of the party and the government Chiang had led.) Groundbreaking for the memorial took place on 31 October 1976, the 90th anniversary of Chiang's birth. The hall officially opened on 5 April 1980, the fifth anniversary of the leader's death.
Yang's design placed the main building at the east end of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park (中正紀念公園), covering over 240,000 square metres in Zhongzheng District. A main gate, the Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness (大中至正) was placed at the west end on Chung Shan South Road, with a Gate of Great Loyalty (大忠門) standing at the north side on Hsin Yi (Xinyi) Road and a Gate of Great Piety (大孝門) standing at the south side on Ai Kuo (Aiguo) East Road. A Boulevard of Homage, bordered by manicured bushes, connected the main hall with the square.
Events that You Don't Want To Miss- Guard Ceremony
The Changing the Guard ceremony
Every day (except for News Years Eve)
Morning：09:00、10:00、11:00、12:00
Afternoon：13:00、14:00、15:00、16:00、17:00
Nearby Halal Food Recommendations
清真泰皇餐廳
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Quick FAQs of CKS Memorial Hall
1.Could we have the tour guide service even only 1-2 people?
Ans: Yes, as long as we have enough staff, we can arrange for the application.
2.I have two American friends will visit Taiwan two days later, how can I arrange for the tour guide service?
Ans: If you need English tour guide, please make a reservation at the counter first. If you need Chinese guide, as long as we have enough staff, reservation is not needed.
3. When do you lower the flag in the afternoon?
Ans: 5:10 pm.
4. Where can I get the stamps?
Ans:
(1) information desk
(2) Chiang’s office
(3) Bronze status hall.
5. Where is Chiang’s baton?
Ans: It is returns to the original organization already.
6. When will the honor guard change their shift?
Ans: On the hour from 10 am to 4 pm. Wednesdays are from 10 am to 6 pm.
7. What is the meaning of Dazhong Gate and Daxiao Gate?
Ans: Represents Ching’s loyalty for the country and filial spirit to the nation.
8. how long is the traditional Chinese style hall way outside the memorial hall?
Ans: It is alongside the sidewalk of Xinyi road, Hangzhou S. Road, Aiguo E. Road. The whole length is 1200 meters, height is 5.5 meters. Every 4.5 meters of the outer wall is embedded with a Chinese latticed windows. There are 18 patterns and shapes, and the total number is 264. The inner side is designed with round pillars without wall.
9. Is the gate tagged with “Da Zhong Zhi Zheng” main gate?
Ans: Yes, the style of the four words were Ou Yang Hsun , a calligraphy mater in Tang Dynasty. They included Chiang’s name as well as his will and spirit.
10. Where are the display rooms?
Ans: Beside the hallway at the first floor.
11. What does it mean of the building design?
Ans:
(1) the memorial hall was established on three foundations with square platform. It represents the idea of “upright and honest”, which is the literally meaing of Chiang Kai-shek’s name.
(2) the eight-square and the “human” shape of colored glazes, numerous pile to the top of the roof. Linking to the sky, means the idea of “the unity of universe and human beings”.
(3) The roof was made by sapphire blue glass, the wall was by white marbles and the red “ru yi” pattern of Chinese blanket represent the spirit of Blue Sky, White Sun and Red Ground (freedom, equality and universal fraternity)
(4) The eight-angle roof of the memorial hall, the hip roof of the National Theater,and the saddle roof of the Concert Hall are considered as a structure of “Three mountain-State ”.
12. What is the total height of the memorial hall?
Ans: Ladders are 14.5 meters, and main wall is 24 meters, the bucket arch to the top of the roof is 31.5 meters. The total height is 70 meters.
13. What is the special purpose of the golden color of the roof?
Ans: Golden color is used to emphasize its brilliant.
14. There are 89 steps of the ground floor to the second floor. What does it mean?
Ans: It means the last President Chiang lived for 89 years.
15. Is the picture in the central roof of main hall National Emblem or Party Emblem?
Ans: It is the blue sky and white sun national emblem.
16. What do the “Ethics, Democracy, Science” on the back of the bronze mean?
Ans: It is the essence of the Three People's Principles. (To practice Nationalism by ethics, to practice by democracy, to practice the people's livelihood ism by science).
17. What does the two lines of calligraphy hanging on the both side of the main hall?
Ans: The right-hand side of the last President Chiang’s calligraphy of is: “The purpose of life is to enhance whole life of the human beings.” The left-hand one is “The meaning of life is creating the universe from the following life”. These are his philosophy and his driving force and lifelong ideal.
18. What is the height and weight of the bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek at 2F lobby?
Ans: Its height is 6.3 meters, thick is 6-12 mm and weight is 21.25 metric tons. The height of the platform is 3.5 meters. The total height is 9.8 meters.
19. Where is the origin of marble of the memorial hall and its floor?
Ans: The darker gray one of the two layers on top is from Hua-lian, the others. And some of the floor is from Vermont, U.S. The red one on the floor is from Jin-men.
20. What are the height and width of the bronze door at the lobby of the second floor? When does it open and close? By human or electric power?
Ans: The height is 16 meters, the width is 12 meters and the weight is 75 metric ton. Open at 9 am and close at 6 pm, by electric power usually.
21. When do the Honor Guards change duty at the 2F lobby?
Ans: 1 hour a shift. Performance will be shown in every hour.
22. What kind of soldiers does the Honor Guard belong? How to recognize? How long do they serve?
Ans: Take turn by army, navy and air force every four months. Army wears green uniform, navy wears black in summer and white in winter, and the air force wears blue.
23. When do you provide Tour Guide service?
Ans: We have regular schedule of tour guide. If you are not convenient with the regular time, we can provide the tour guide service for you anytime as long as we have enough staff.
24. Why can’t I see the car filling holes of Chiang’s car?
Ans: it is at the left rear part.
25. Madam Chiang learned traditional Chinese painting from whom?
Ans: traditional Chinese painting maters such as Huang Jun-bi and Cheng Man-ching etc.
26. Who is the children that Madam Wong hugging in hands in the first display room?
Ans: He is Chiang Ching-kuo, the first child of Chiang Kai-shek. He was about 4-year-old at the moment.
27. Who made the two plants at the end of the central hallway?
Ans: a teacher in our lifelong learning program.
28. Is everything in display rooms authentic?
Ans: Some of them are authentic, and some are copies
Details of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
General Information
Address: No.21, Zhongshan S.Rd., Zhongzheng Dist.,Taipei City 10048, Taiwan (R.O.C)
Phone: （02）2343-1100
Metro Station: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station, Exit 5
Flag ceremony
Summer time 4/1~9/30
Flag raising：06：00
Lowering flag：18：10
Winter time 10/1~3/31
Flag raising：06：30
Lowering flag：17：10
The Changing the Guard ceremony
Every day (except for News Years Eve)
Morning：09:00、10:00、11:00、12:00
Afternoon：13:00、14:00、15:00、16:00、17:00
