Ketagalan Boulevard
Encyclopedia
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Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, between the Presidential Building and the East Gate (東門). The length is 400 m. There are ten lanes for two-way traffic, and no traffic islands.
History
The former name of this street is Chieh-shou Road , Chieh-shou (介壽) meaning "Long live Chiang Kai-shekChiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
". On May 19, 1989 a pro-democracy activist named Chan I-hua
Chan I-hua
Chan I-hua was a Taiwanese pro-democracy activist and graduate of Lunghwa University of Science and Technology. He performed self-immolation on May 19, 1989 when the funeral procession of fellow activist Cheng Nan-jung was blocked by the police in front of the Presidential Office Building in...
performed self-immolation
Self-immolation
Self-immolation refers to setting oneself on fire, often as a form of protest or for the purposes of martyrdom or suicide. It has centuries-long traditions in some cultures, while in modern times it has become a type of radical political protest...
to protest the blocking of funeral procession of fellow activist Cheng Nan-jung
Cheng Nan-jung
Cheng Nan-jung was a Taiwanese publisher and pro-democracy activist. He was the founder of the Freedom Era Weekly. He is most known internationally for setting himself on fire in support of Taiwanese independence.-Background and career:...
. On 21 March 1996, when Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
was the mayor of Taipei
Mayor of Taipei
The Mayor of Taipei is elected to a four-year term. Former Presidents Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian have all held this position prior to being elected President.It was an appointed position from 1967 to 1994...
, Chieh-shou Road was renamed Ketagalan Boulevard and the surrounding square was renamed Ketagalan Square in honor of the Ketagalan Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
originally living in the Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
area. However, Ketagalan Boulevard has been given other levels of political meaning and has even become the protesting holy land of opposing political parties.
Back when there was stern atmosphere in front of the Presidential Building, pedestrians had to pass by with their heads lowered. Motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s and bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s were banned from Chieh-shou Road and a section of Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
South Road right in front of the Presidential Building. When Chieh-shou Road was renamed Ketagalan Boulevard, the traffic sign
Traffic sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of roads to provide information to road users. With traffic volumes increasing over the last eight decades, many countries have adopted pictorial signs or otherwise simplified and standardized their signs to facilitate international travel...
s banning motorcycles and bicycles on Ketagalan Boulevard and Chongqing South Road were also removed, reminiscent of "lifting martial law" (解嚴). When renaming the road, it was also announced that there was no disrespect intended to former President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
.
Ketagalan Boulevard and the area surrounding the Presidential Building and East Gate is a popular location for mass political rallies. For example, after the 2004 presidential election
ROC presidential election, 2004
The Election for the 11th-term President and Vice-President of the Republic of China , the third direct presidential election in Taiwan's history and the 11th presidential election overall under the 1947 Chinese Constitution, was held on March 20, 2004...
, supporters of the Pan-Blue Coalition
Pan-Blue Coalition
The Pan-Blue Coalition 泛藍聯盟 or Pan-Blue Force is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party . The name comes from the party colours of the Kuomintang...
not satisfied with the result of the election occupied Ketagalan Boulevard, protesting and parading for an entire week.
In the wake of the renaming of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attractions erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Republic of China ....
to "National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall" (國立臺灣民主紀念館) by the DPP administration, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin proposed to rename the section of Ketagalan Boulevard between the Presidential Building and Gongyuan Road "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square" (反貪腐民主廣場) after the 2006 protests. However, there has not been any further debate about this name change since the renaming of the CKS Memorial Hall.
Landmarks
Ketagalan Boulevard is only 400 meters long. Along the road are three buildings, two parks and two parking lots. Among them are:- 1 Ketagalan Boulevard
- Taipei Guest HouseTaipei Guest HouseTaipei Guest House is the historical building located at Ketagalan Boulevard No.1, Zhongzheng District and also lies in the BoAi Special District...
(台北賓館)
- Taipei Guest House
- 2 Ketagalan Boulevard
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (中華民國外交部)
- 3 Ketagalan Boulevard
- 2-28 Peace Memorial Park (二二八和平紀念公園)
- 4 Jieshou Park (介壽公園)