Flashback.... my Taipei trip 2013 -Sun Yat Sen Memorial hall

This is a big building with a yellow roof and sits in a huge open space of about 28 acres and is clearly visible from the 89th floor observatory deck of Taipei 101. This old building which was completed in 1972 has not been very well-maintained judging by the state of the building and its surroundings. The vast open space around the memorial building provides a useful avenue for the city folks to hold large scale social gatherings or any public activity and every year a number of high profile cultural and arts events are hosted within the grounds too. Inside the memorial building there is about 1000 sq meters of exhibition space, a library, a performance area and a few lecture halls too. Entrance to this memorial is free and photography is also allowed.

This grand memorial was built in honor of the great man, Dr Sun Yat-sen, the first president and the founding father of the Republic of China and everything there is to know about him. He played an instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty that effectively ended the 2000 years of imperial rule in China. He is much revered as the “Father of the Nation” on both sides of the Taiwan Straits i.e. in The People’s Republic of China (China) and also in Republic of China (Taiwan) - a very unique situation indeed. 

The changing of guards take place every hour. And in between, the guards will be as still as human statues. A real amazing feat and impossible for me as I am a real fidgety person and if I had to stay as still as them, I’ll probably pass out. At least I did in my younger days when forced to stand still in a corner…

Exhibits in the memorial hall includes old photographs, newspaper cuttings from various countries, official documents, private letters and other related items were on display in the showcases, documenting the often difficult and tumultuous times of his life, much of which were spent in exile overseas, and also not forgetting his lifetime achievements.

Outside, plenty of activities were going on around the outer perimeter of the memorial building which is shielded from the rain, where different groups of people were doing different things from group meditation, dancing practice, street dancing, marshal arts training and also Taijiquan exercises.

This is a great place to visit to learn more about the life of this great Chinese revolutionary and also the history of modern China.