Zhongzheng District

Donghe Bell Tower (東和禪寺鐘樓)

Taipei is a dynamic city that has had a bit of success with its ability to merge modernity with its several centuries of history. Today the city is a blend of old and new where you are able to walk past century year old buildings nestled between high-rise buildings.

As a modern metropolis, the people who live in Taipei are in tune with the most cutting edge technology the world has to offer however they are not quick to forget their history and are sure to make their voices heard when pieces of the city's history are being neglected or are in danger of disappearing completely.

The voice of the people is one that was stymied for several decades during what Taiwanese today refer to as the White Terror Period (白色恐怖) where the Chinese Nationalist Government did pretty much whatever it wanted with regards to city planning and urban development. During the thirty-eight years of Martial Law (1949-1987), many of the country’s historic buildings, especially those of Japanese origin were deliberately destroyed by the Nationalist government in order to make way for modern structures. 

Now that the people of Taiwan have rightfully earned their democratic freedoms, they have become very proactive in taking the government to task when it comes to the further destruction of this country’s history and the preservation of what still remains today has become extremely important for many of Taiwan’s civil society groups.

In recent years both the national and local governments have spent a considerable amount of resources to resurrect and restore some of these remaining buildings. Whether it is a Shinto Shrine, a Martial Arts Hall, Police or Teachers dorms, etc. Buildings of Japanese origin are being restored throughout the country to offer locals a glimpse into an important part of Taiwan’s history and one that has had long-lasting effects on this nation.

Link: My blog posts about buildings from the Japanese Colonial Era

Today’s post is about one of Taipei’s lesser known Japanese-era buildings and is one that has been preserved thanks to the voice of the city’s residents who stood up to protect it from disappearing forever. The 'structure' which is one of the last remaining pieces of a former Zen Buddhist Temple is a simple Bell Tower, but don’t let its simplicity fool you, there is an interesting backstory that goes with it.

Japanese Buddhism in Taiwan

The ‘Japanese Colonial Era’ (日治時代) began on April 17th 1895 when representatives from the Qing government signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki (下関条約) which signalled the end of the first Sino-Japanese War. The treaty, which is still a sour point in Sino-Japanese relations today forced the Qing empire to cede both territory and copious amounts of cash to the Japanese Empire.

When the Colonial Era in Taiwan started, the Japanese were quick to take care of any opposition to their control and also wasted no time in their effort to develop the island with modern infrastructure as well as modernizing the economy which would ultimately help contribute to the empire. As Taiwan was considered to be an important part of that empire, both strategically and economically, the Japanese took special effort to construct buildings of Japanese cultural influence while at the same time building schools, banks, roads, etc.

The buildings of Japanese cultural origin which include the various Shinto Shrines and Buddhist temples, etc. were constructed with the sole intention of helping to ‘convert’ the people of Taiwan into 'loyal citizens' of the Japanese empire who would be 'Japanese' in every sense of the term except for ancestry.

Buddhism, having established a foothold on the island several centuries earlier was one of the tools that the Japanese used to help bring the two peoples together. Initially, the Japanese brought Buddhist monks with them to serve roles in the military as chaplain-missionaries offering spiritual guidance during the initial years of the occupation.

The monks who came to Taiwan eventually began to construct language schools and charity hospitals where they would focus on improving the lives of average Taiwanese citizens as well as promoting Japanese-style Buddhism. This effort didn’t last long however thanks to the language barrier and the fact that Japanese Buddhism was viewed by the locals as a colonial system of beliefs which only benefitted the colonial power.

The lack of results in terms of cultural conversion led to funding ultimately being cut off by the Japanese central government and forced the monks who had come to Taiwan to focus less on the native population and more so on the benevolence of the Japanese people who migrated to the island.

Interestingly, even though Buddhism was originally used as a way for the colonial powers to endear themselves to the people living in Taiwan, the religion ended up becoming a tool for the people of Taiwan. The people of Taiwan, who have always been quite entrepreneurial knew that Buddhist temples were the perfect places to brush shoulders with the higher-ups in Japanese society. So, to gain political or economic favour Buddhism was often used to achieve a more prosperous life during the colonial era. 

Today, a large portion of people in Taiwan, if asked would claim that they are Buddhist - The history of Buddhism in Taiwan can be a long and confusing one and despite the religion being a tool for state control (for both the Japanese and the Chinese Nationalists). The legacy of the Japanese Colonial Era can still be felt today as most of the largest Buddhist organizations operating in Taiwan adhere to the philosophy and practices of the schools of Buddhism brought to Taiwan by the Japanese.

Bell Towers / Shoro (鐘樓)

Taipei office workers heading back to the office after lunch.

A common feature of Buddhist temples throughout Asia (and admittedly is one of the first things that comes to mind when foreigners think about Buddhist temples) is that of the sound of a gong or a bell being rung. If you’ve seen a Kung-Fu movie, its likely that you can picture that of a misty mountain with the sound of a bell ringing.

Whether its a temple high in the mountains or one in the middle of busy Taipei City, Bell Towers are a common feature among Buddhist temples. Much like the call to prayer in Islam, the Bell Towers in Buddhist monasteries serve as a way to wake monks up, summon monks to the temple, notify people of dinner, etc.

When Buddhism was brought to Japan, the practice of using a bell tower as a part of religious ceremony and temple architecture was brought over as well. In Japan, the bell towers, known as “shōrō” (鐘樓) became an important part of a temple's design and was a practice that was later integrated into Shinto temples as well.

While temple architecture in Chinese temples has traditionally been quite strict, adhering to the principles of Feng Shui, the Japanese were able to mix things up a bit and modify not only the architectural design of the bell towers but also the position for which they are located within a temple. 

Japanese Bell Towers typically fall into two different types of architectural design, both of which can still be seen in Taiwan today - The first type is the most traditional variety known as “Hakamagoshi” (褲腰). This type is typically a walled two-storey hour-glass shaped building with the bell on the second floor. The second type is a newer (13th century “new”) variety known as “Fukihanachi“ (吹放ち) which is an open structure with no walls and a bell hanging in the middle. The common feature of both types of towers is that they are adorned with beautiful Japanese-style gabled (切妻造) or hip-and-gable (入母屋造) rooftops.

The bells, otherwise known as “Bonshō“ (梵鐘) typically hang from the middle of the bell tower and are cast from thick bronze. Rather than being struck from the inside like most western bells, they are struck from the outside with either a handheld mallet or a large wooden beam that is suspended by ropes. The thickness of the bell and being struck from the outside cause that deep resonating iconic sound that most people are familiar with when they think about Asian temples.

Bell Tower’s serve both practical and symbolic purposes within temples and monasteries as they are thought to have the power to 'awaken people from the daze of everyday life and the pursuit of worldly things like fame and fortune'. The ringing of the bells, which can often be heard within several kilometres of the temple is a reminder to people of all walks of life to slow down and enjoy life.

Donghe Bell Tower (東和鐘樓)

In 1908 (民治41年) the Soto Zen Daihonzai Temple (曹洞宗大本山別院) was constructed in Taipei’s historic Dongmen District (東門町), now Zhongzheng District (中正區). The temple which was designed in Japanese Zen Buddhist style was a popular place of worship but was initially limited solely to serving Japanese nationals who likely would have been among the bureaucrats working in the capital’s governing district.

Due to the popular demand however the group who controlled the temple eventually constructed a separate hall in 1914 (大正5年) to accommodate locals. The newly constructed hall, known as the Guanyin Hall (觀音堂), was situated directly to the side of the original temple yet was constructed in a traditional Fujian-style (閩式) rather than one that would be identifiable as a Japanese Zen Temple.

There could be a few reasons for this, but given the time period it was likely meant to segregate the two groups of worshippers while offering an olive branch of sorts to help integrate locals. 

In 1916 the group who ran the temple constructed a Junior High School (私立臺灣佛教中學) for boys on the temple grounds. Even though they originally only intended for the school to help educate the children of the temple worshippers, it grew quickly and in 1938 was forced to relocate to Shilin District (士林區) changing its name to the “Private Taipei Junior High” (私立臺北中). Today the school still exists and is known as Taipei Junior High School (臺北市私立泰北高級中學).

Donghe Bell Tower (東和鐘樓) in 1936

In 1930 (昭和5年) as the temple had expanded in size and more importantly in the amount of funds that it was taking it, it was decided that a traditional bell tower should be constructed to act as the entrance and welcoming area for the temple.

As mentioned above, bell towers are common on Japanese Buddhist temples in Taiwan, but for the first twenty years of this temples existence, it had done without one. The Bell Tower at the temple was constructed using the “Hakamagoshi” (褲腰) architectural style meaning that it was more than one story tall and was a walled structure. The bell was on the second floor which had a narrow set of stairs leading up to it.

The bell was the final piece that was added to the temple grounds making it complete in its design - Unfortunately today, the only remaining parts of the original temple grounds are the bell and Guanyin Hall, which is somewhat hidden away behind a wall.

In 1945 when the Chinese Nationalists took control of Taiwan the temple grounds were taken control of by the government and for a period of time became home to a group of squatters who set up a shanty town on the grounds. Between 1945 and the year 2000 the beautifully constructed main hall was vandalized and left to decay by the government.

In the year 2000, the Taipei City Government made plans to relocate the squatters, tear down the shanty town and at the same time tear down the main hall and the bell tower. As I mentioned in my introduction, these plans met with resistance from local people who insisted that parts of the grounds be preserved. The government eventually capitulated and promised to both preserve and restore the historic Guanyin Hall as well as the Bell Tower with the project being completed in 2006.

While the Bell Tower stands as a beautiful reminder to the past, it is unfortunate that the original temple couldn’t have been preserved as well - the historic photos above show that it was a beautiful one and if it were still around it would serve as a great historic relic to the city as well as an important spot for tourists and local people to learn about the city’s history.

Taipei however is still home to two beautiful Japanese era Buddhist temples with the Puji Temple in Beitou and the Huguo Rinzai Temple next to Yuanshan MRT station and are always open to visitors. 

Even though the original temple was demolished years ago, the Bell Tower remains an attractive tourist spot in a part of Taipei where not many tourists really spend a whole lot of time. If you are visiting the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, you may want to consider taking the short walk to visit the beautiful bell tower. You really don’t need a lot of time to see it, but its an important historic site with a cute little Buddhist monastery to the rear.


Getting there

 

There are two different walking routes that tourists can take to arrive at the Bell Tower - Both routes are short walks from an MRT station, so its up to you which you prefer to take. The first route is a walk from the NTU Hospital MRT Station (台大醫院站) while the other is from the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station (中正紀念堂站).

The route from the NTU Hospital Station is a simple one - From the exit walk up Gongyuan Road (公園路) until you reach Ketagalan Road. Once you see the Xiananmen Rotary you just keep walking straight onto Ren’ai Road (仁愛路) until you reach Linsen Road (林森路) where you make a left turn. The Bell Tower is a block away from there.

The route from CKS Memorial Hall is a bit easier. Basically you just have to leave the MRT station and walk along Zhongshan South Road (中山南路) until you turn right on either Xinyi Road (信義路) or Ren’Ai Road (仁愛路) and then finally making a left turn on Linsen Road (林森路).

If I were a tourist, I would likely choose to first check out the CKS Memorial Hall and then when I was done, take the short walk from there to see the Bell Tower before moving on to check out the Presidential Building later in the afternoon. On the other hand if you decided to take the walk from NTU Hospital, you could also check out the beautiful 228 Peace Park (二二八和平公園) before moving on to the Bell Tower.


Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂)

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the area surrounding it is one of the most prominent landmarks in Taiwan and is also one of the most popular destinations for tourists visiting Taipei with thousands of people showing up each day.

While the grandiose monument to former President Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石) is a popular tourist attraction, the Hall itself serves as a sore spot for the people of Taiwan who suffered under the leadership of President Chiang and the period of the martial law he imposed for almost four decades and the period of 'White Terror' he inflicted upon the citizens of Taiwan.

While I aim to describe this tourist landmark in the most positive light possible, I won't be glossing over the dark history and I hope that this blog post helps people to understand that the there is a very difficult and sad history that goes along with this memorial.

I hope that I can offer a balanced explanation of this beautiful landmark while also explaining the history of the park and Chiang Kai Shek's legacy in Taiwan.

History

President Chiang Kai-Shek died on April 5th, 1975 at the ripe old age of 89. The dying wish of the president was that his body be interned at his retreat in Daxi (大溪) until such a time that Republic of China forces could take back the mainland by force. The irony being that even in 1975, the reality of such a thing ever happening was an impossibility. 

Due to Chiang's wishes to return to his homeland, his body was not prepared in traditional Chinese fashion and was thus placed in a black marble sarcophagus which was meant to preserve his body until it could be properly buried in his hometown in China. After lying in state for over forty years, it seems that Taiwan will ultimately be the final resting place of the former dictator.

Since his death, the people of Taiwan people have forged ahead with their own national identity and have pushed for reform while the party he and his family controlled for so long has lost favour with the people and has ultimately started to grovel at the feet of the Communist Party in China. 

What Chiang was unable to foresee before his death was that Taiwan would develop into a thriving multi-party democracy. The peace-loving people in the country completely disregarded his dream of 'taking back' China from the Communists and forged ahead with mass development, transforming the tiny island of Taiwan into one of the most advanced nations in the world with a population that freely exercises its right to free speech and liberty.

Part of those changes (to put it simply) was to deal responsibly with Chiang's legacy and the horrendous crimes committed by his government against the Taiwanese people. Today, the people of Taiwan still don't have the full story of what happened during that era but Chiang's victims will ultimately have their stories told with the governments efforts to bring about transitional justice.

After Chiang's death, the government established a funeral committee that would be tasked with building a grand memorial to their ideological figurehead. A contest was held asking for submissions with a design by famed architect Yang Cho-Cheng (楊卓成) winning the rights to construct the memorial.

Yang Cho-Cheng was a master of Chinese-styled architecture with a career that spanned over six decades. Yang held favour with the KMT which in turn gave him the opportunity to design many of Taipei's landmark buildings which include Taipei's Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店), the National Palace Theatre and Concert Hall, the Shilin Official Residence (士林官邸), the Cihu Mausoleum (慈湖陵寢) and the Central Bank building (中央銀行) among others.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial Hall took place on October 31st, 1976 (coinciding with the 90th anniversary of Chiang's birth) and was officially opened a little over three years later on the fifth anniversary of Chiang's death.

The Memorial Park covers an area of over 240,000 square meters in Taipei's Zhengzheng District (中正區) which shares a home with the Presidential Palace (總統府) and most branches of the government and banks. Looking at the cramped city of Taipei today you might wonder how so much land was appropriated for the memorial park - The simple answer to that question is that the area where the park was built was once a military base during the Japanese Colonial era and was filled with squatters when the KMT retreated to Taiwan. The squatters were ultimately relocated and the land was re-zoned to make way for the park. 

The expansive park consists of three large buildings: the Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂), The National Theatre (國家戲劇院) and the National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳). With the main archway, two side gates, Democracy Square (民主廣場), Democracy Boulevard (民主大道) and a beautiful forested park and walls along the perimeter.

A recent protest outside of the Memorial Hall

In a move that would likely have Chiang turning in his grave, the Memorial Park constructed in his honour has since become the site of choice for many of Taiwan's modern mass protest movements. These mass movements which notably includes the Wild Lily Student Movement (野百合學運) whose efforts ultimately ushered Taiwan into its current democratic era and changed the political landscape of this country!

Today the Memorial Hall continues to be a popular venue for protest movements, but it has also become a popular tourist attraction and the site of carnival-like events. A visit to the park is a must on most tourists itineraries when they visit Taiwan as it shows off some of the best of Taiwan's architecture and traditional design.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂)

The grandiose Memorial Hall which sits at the back part of the Memorial Park is probably the main reason people visit the area. The three story hall is said to express the 'spirit of Chinese culture' and is built on strong foundations which symbolize "Zhong Zheng" (中正) which was Chiang Kai-Shek's adopted name and also means "impartial" and "righteous".

 If you care to read more about the 'symbolic' nature of the Memorial Hall and the ways it (apparently) represents Chiang Kai Shek's character, check out the official site which goes into greater detail - Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Website

The Memorial hall is white, has four sides and was constructed using Taiwanese marble. The roof is blue (representing the colour of his party and *cough* "freedom") and is in the shape of an octagon. In Asia, the number eight is an auspicious one that is associated with abundance and good fortune. The roof apparently is shaped in such a way though that each of the sides of the octagon forms the word for "people" (人) which was to symbolize that Chiang was a man of the people.

Leading up to the Memorial Hall there are two sets of stairs, each with 89 steps which represent each year of the dictators life. Between the staircases is a mural made of marble with the star of the Republic of China and the logo of the Kuomintang. 

Most people don't actually realize that the ground entrance to the Memorial Hall, which is off to right side of the stairs is the entrance to an exhibition hall which documents important parts of Chiang's life and some of his accomplishments in Taiwan. There are also artifacts left by the former presidents estate which include his Cadillacs, uniforms, calligraphy, etc.

After walking up the stairs to the main entrance to the hall, you are met with an impressive doorway that brings you into the large shrine room where you'll come face to face with a large bronze statue of the man himself. Visitors are instructed to be quiet and respectful when entering the hall with guards walking around ensuring that nothing precarious happens.

Behind the statue the words "倫理" (ethics), "民主" (democracy) and "科學" (science) are inscribed on the wall in beautiful calligraphy. The words are taken from ROC founder Sun Yat Sen's (孫中山) "Minquan" or "People Power Principle" (民權主義) and part of the larger philosophy that made up his "Three Principles of the People“ (民權主義) governing philosophy.

Each side of the statue has members of the Republic of China Honour Guard who stand at attention and take part in an elaborate changing of the guard ceremony once every hour and a lowering of the flag ceremony at 5:00pm each day. The changing of the guard ceremony is one of the most popular attractions at the Memorial Hall and when its time for the changing of the guards, an elaborate ceremony takes place which is symbolic of the ROC armed forces discipline and skill.

 Liberty Square / Renaming Controversy

In the year 2000, after more than fifty years of single party rule, the Chinese Nationalist Party was defeated in free and open elections by former President Chen Shui Bian (陳水扁) and his Democratic Progressive Party. In the years since Chiang Kai-Shek's death, Taiwan had transformed itself into a pluralistic democracy with protected rights for all of its citizens with efforts to seek transitional justice for the people who suffered under one party rule.  

The newfound rights and freedoms granted to the people of Taiwan meant that a serious debate could take place as to Chiang Kai-Shek's legacy with more and more details emerging as to what really happened during as a result of the 228 Incident (二二八事件) and the period of White Terror (白色恐怖) orchestrated by the KMT under what is known as the longest period of Martial Law in world history. 

In 2007 controversy erupted when the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was renamed by the government to the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall (台灣民主紀念館). The move was a lacklustre and short-lived attempt to right the wrongs of the past with the claim that the name change reflected the desire of the Taiwanese public to "bid goodbye to the old age and to show that we Taiwanese are all standing firmly behind the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights."

The changes to the Memorial Park included:

  1. The removal of the "Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall" plaque.
  2. Adding the "Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall" (台灣民主紀念館) plaque.
  3. The removal of the ceremonial ROC Honour Guards who stand at attention.
  4. A redesign of the inner hall to honour Taiwan's road to democracy.
  5. The naming of the square in front of the hall to "Liberty Square" (自由廣場).
  6. The naming of the walkway leading up to the Hall to "Democracy Boulevard" (民主大道).
  7. Replacing the words "Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness" (大中至正) from the main gate with "Liberty Square" (自由廣場).

Unfortunately the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall was an exercise in futility as the changes came close to the end of President Chen's second term and the KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-Jeou (馬英九) promised an immediate removal of all of the changes made to the memorial hall.

"Mr. Ma" ultimately won the election and the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was restored shortly thereafter.

 If you'd like to read a more detailed explanation of the Renaming Controversy check out this excellent Wikipedia post about it which is one of the best English recollections of the events available on the internet - Renaming of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

Despite Mr. Ma's campaign promises to remove all of the changes to the Memorial Hall, the government was unable to remove the Liberty Square and Democracy Boulevard changes as it would have been seen as a regression in Taiwan's democracy and yet another KMT denial of their crimes against the people of Taiwan.

Today, the beautifully designed main gate to the Memorial Hall is named "Liberty Square" and it is a fitting name for a place that has been a hot spot for democratic activity and protest since Chiang's death in 1975.

Liberty Square is a popular place not only for mass gatherings and protests but for outdoor concerts, festivals and public exhibitions. The square has also become a popular place for students to practice dance routines as well as for others to exercise, practice Tai Chi, bird-watch and relax with friends.

National Theatre and Concert Hall

The most imposing and impressive structures on Liberty Square are that of the National Theatre (國家戲劇院) and National Concert Hall (國家音樂廳). The two buildings play host to major performances all year long and are considered the best artistic venues in the country.

The two opposing buildings which were completed in 1987 have since become major Taipei landmarks and are celebrated not just for the quality performances that take place throughout the year but also for the traditional Chinese palace-style design and modern construction techniques that were used in their construction.

Each of the buildings house art galleries, shops, restaurants and libraries dedicated to the performing arts and tours are available if you'd like to visit the interior. 

National Theatre and Concert Hall Website: English | 中文 

Park

The people of Taiwan people are extremely well-skilled when it comes to the art of designing beautiful landscapes and the gardens. The skill, care and design that goes into designing even small floral arrangements in Taiwan is extremely admirable. The groundskeepers at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall however take landscape design to a whole new level with well-curated pieces of landscaping art to each side of Democracy Boulevard.

The forested parks to the side and behind the Memorial Hall are also quite impressive. The parks are a haven for wildlife serving as the home for squirrels, birds, fish, turtles and cranes. Local people come to the park to exercise as well as feed the wildlife.

The parks, like the floral designs next to Democracy Boulevard are artificial, but after almost thirty years of existence they seem almost natural. The trees have grown quite large and a stroll through the forest walkways is a peaceful escape from the city.

Each side of the park has a 3000 square meter pond which are named "Yunhan Pond" (雲漢池) and "Guang Hua Pond" (光華池) respectively. The ponds are home to turtles, frogs, King Fishers and a variety of carp.

As one of the top travel destinations in Taiwan, the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and park should definitely be considered a must visit stop for any traveller visiting Taiwan.

Chiang made a point even in death to show that his "China" was the better one and that traditional Chinese culture and architecture had a place in modern Taiwanese society while the Communists in China were wreaking havoc and destroying remnants of the past.

The architectural design put on display in this park is amazing and the sheer size of it makes it awe-inspiring for anyone who enjoys a bit of traditional design with a modern touch. 

While a trip to the Memorial Park is highly recommended by most travel guides, I also recommend taking some time to educate yourself about the complicated history of the man who was an important figure during the Second World War and whose oppression and authoritarian style of governance for better or worse shaped Taiwan into the modern country it is today. Below are some links that will help: