Taiwan Today

If you go down to the woods today in Taoyuan County's Dasi Township then you are sure for a big surprise. Forget picnicking teddy bears because in a verdant clearing at Cihu Sculpture Park, more than 150 statues of former President Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) stand in a scene of Bunuelesque proportions. Most of the statues of the four-hectare park show Chiang as what he is perhaps best known--a powerful generalissimo--but in others he becomes a role-player. Sitting cross-legged with a book on his knee, he is a scholar; in full military uniform astride a horse, he is the protector of his people; standing in unadorned fatigues with a walking cane and fedora hat in hand, he is a wizened elder statesman. Acutely aware of his image, Chiang--who led the Republic of China from 1928 until his death--had bronze statues of his likeness scattered across Taiwan in public spaces, schools and military bases. The engineering of this personality cult also extended to naming buildings, streets and even the international airport after the leader. "In an authoritarian society, the citizenship's identification with the country is built up by apotheosis of the leader," pointed out Chou Ping, a professor in the Department of Applied Sociology at Nanhua University in Chiayi County. "Statues and symbols of Chiang are examples of this process. The first stage was to create a god-like image for the president, but in the second, he was demonized," Chou said. The academic believes it is normal for both political manifestations to occur in the political and democratic development of a nation, explaining the rethink over Chiang's role in Taiwan--which took place after Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party won the presidency in 2000 and ended the Kuomintang's five-decade rule on Taiwan. The DPP argued that the man who many hold responsible for the Feb. 28 Incident--in which KMT troops suppressed a 1947 uprising on the island that resulted in tens of thousands of Taiwanese being killed--should no longer be afforded god-like status. The campaign of diminishing the former president's image intensified Sept. 6, 2006 after the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport was renamed the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. But more of Chiang's legacy was to go. In February last year, the nation's military bases bid adieu to statues of the generalissimo and May 19--a date coinciding with Chiang's declaration of martial law in 1949 that lasted 38 years--saw the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall renamed the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. At the renaming ceremony, then President Chen said the move symbolized an end to the country's authoritarian past. "We're gathering here 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," he stated. The gesture of breaking with Chiang's legacy was welcomed in some circles of Taiwanese society but caused enormous anxiety as well. The KMT accused the DPP of staging a national "identity crisis" in order to improve its chances in the 2008 legislative and presidential elections. The DPP defended its decision to reevaluate Chiang's legacy, insisting that the relics of authoritarian rule must be erased and that Taiwanese people should not honor the former president, a tyrant from their point of view. With the issue of Chiang seemingly an intractable one in official circles, some smelled a business opportunity in the midst of this political tug-of-war. According to Chen Kuo-jun, director-general of the Taoyuan County Government's Tourism Promotion Department, the time seemed ripe to open a park for the former president's statues. "The area around Cihu Lake was a favorite for Chiang and his eldest son, late President Chiang Ching-kuo [1910-1988]," Chen said. "Both leaders liked to vacation and spend time with their families in the area and even their mausoleums are located here." In 2000, the county began planning for the establishment of a cultural theme park based around the life of a man once hailed as a freedom fighter during World War II. Chen explained that the local community saw the move as a way of boosting regional tourism and preserving Taiwan's cultural heritage. The director-general stated that some pieces in the park's collection embody the tension caused by the reevaluation of Chiang's position in Taiwanese society. "One of the finest examples is a dismembered statue sent from the Cultural Center of Kaohsiung," he said. "We were surprised to receive the statue, which had been broken into 117 pieces," adding that instead of restoring it, Guo Shao-zong--a local artist--was asked to 'recreate' it using a deconstructionist method. "It is our hope that this piece, named 'Wounds and Regeneration,' will remind people of the importance of harmony between different groups in society," Chen added. Despite wrangling over ideology, one function of the sculpture park is that visitors can learn more about a man who was a bulwark against Japan's imperial ambitions during World War II--and for a time--shared the spotlight with Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin. As part of this education process, the county opened the restricted area behind the Cihu Mausoleum April 19 to the public for the first time in 50 years. "The president's former residence stands in front of Cihu Lake and was converted into his mausoleum after he died," Chen said. "The building had been a major county tourism site, but few people knew that Chiang also spent a considerable amount of time on the other side of the lake." "Actually, the site was a mystery to us until we took over management from the Ministry of National Defense this year," Chen continued. He explained that secrecy surrounding the site stemmed from Chiang's decision to use it as a military headquarters up until the 1960s in the event of hostilities resuming across the Taiwan Strait. With the issue of national security no longer a factor, the tranquil beauty of the lake--with its graceful swans, flitting butterflies and surrounding lush, green hills--belies the gravity of the former president's designated wartime headquarters. In fact, the only visible reminder on the lake that this was once a place of human habitation is a bamboo raft tied to the shore. "It is said that the president chose to contemplate the affairs of state while drifting across the lake on this raft," Chen smiled. According to a county tourism spokesman, renovation of the former president's four offices located in the restricted area is underway and should be completed by the end of this year. "We plan to transform them into cafes and exhibition rooms," he said. In addition to the offices, the official continued, there are two hidden tunnels that once linked the restricted area with his residence. Built to withstand air attacks and direct assaults with conventional weaponry, the thick steel doors stand as a silent reminder of the former leader's days at the helm of the nation. An unforeseen result of Chiang's use of the restricted area has been the preservation of the local environment. "Experts have told us it is an ecological treasure, boasting more than 120 kinds of butterflies and other rarely-seen insect species," Chen said. "One example is the Formosan leaf-nosed bat, the largest in wingspan of nine bats endemic to Taiwan." While the county and central government plan to boost tourism to the Cihu Mausoleum by promoting the area's natural beauty and historical significance, Chen explained that to prevent people from damaging the ecosystem, a daily visitor limit of 200 had been set. In addition to taking a peek at the secret world of Taiwan's iron-fisted ruler, visitors can purchase kitschy memorabilia featuring the likenesses of Taiwan's father and son presidential duo. The product range includes knapsacks, pens, T-shirts, toy figurines and watches. The most popular items are cartoon images of the generalissimo and figurines depicting the two Chiangs. As an interesting aside, some of the items have a direct link to the Chiang family, with Chiang Yu-bou--the grandson of former president Chiang Ching-kuo and an industrial designer--responsible for their creation. Irrespective of any preconceived ideas a visitor may have about Chiang Kai-shek, the opportunity to reevaluate his legacy through the Cihu Sculpture Park and Cihu Mausoleum is an invaluable one that reflects well on Taiwan's maturing democracy. "The sculpture park is praiseworthy because it presents a variety of voices," Chou from Nanhua University said. "People who have different opinions about Chiang can find something to identify with and this helps to foster a new understanding and mutual respect."