Liberty Square (Taipei)
Encyclopedia
Liberty Square is a public plaza covering over 240,000 square meters in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei
, Taiwan
.
Liberty Square regularly serves as the site of mass gatherings in Taiwan. It is the scene for red-carpet ceremonies when Taiwan's president
greets foreign dignitaries. Crowds gather at the square throughout the year for outdoor festivals and concerts. The Taipei Lantern Festival
regularly takes place on the square. On many days students, athletes and soldiers may be seen at the square, working on drills and dance routines. The National Theater and Concert Hall host over 800 events every year and provide iconic backdrops for events on the square.
The ponds and parks surrounding the memorial and cultural centers feature well-maintained lawns, trees, and pathways. The ponds are filled with colourful koi
traditionally found in gardens in East Asia
. The parks regularly play host to quieter forms of public activity, such as Go
games and taekwondo
, T'ai chi ch'uan and other martial arts
practices.
The square had its beginnings in the 1970s, a time when Taiwan
remained under one-party rule by the Kuomintang
(Chinese Nationalists). Architect
Yang Cho-cheng
conceived the plaza as part of a grand design for a memorial to Chiang Kai-shek
, the President of the Republic of China
who had the government relocated to Taiwan
after losing power in Mainland China
during the Chinese Civil War
. The square first opened to the public as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Square after Chiang's death in 1975.
Architecture at the site incorporates many traditional elements and recalls earlier Kuomintang monuments
erected in China. Yang's design symbolically assigned civic virtues to each area of the square. The main gate, the Gate of Integrity , was placed at the west end on Zhongshan South Road, with the Gate of Loyalty standing at the north side on Xinyi Road and the Gate of Piety at the south side on Aiguo East Road. A Boulevard of Homage, bordered by manicured bushes, connects the square to the memorial hall.
The square became Taipei's site of choice for mass gatherings as soon as it opened. The nature of many of those gatherings gave the site new public meanings. The square became the hub of events in the 1980s and early 1990s that ushered Taiwan into its era of modern democracy
. Of the many pro-democracy demonstrations that took place at the square, the most influential was the Wild Lily student movement
of 1990. The movement provided the impetus for the far-reaching political reforms of President Lee Teng-hui
. These culminated in the first popular elections of national leaders in 1996.
The plaza's importance in the development of Taiwan's democracy led to its dedication as Liberty Square by President Chen Shui-bian
in 2007. Though the announcement of the new name was greeted with hostility by a large number of the Taiwanese population, most being of the Pan-Blue camp, the name has been affirmed since by officials on both sides of the political divide.
The inscriptions over the archways, including the main gate that declares the plaza as "Liberty Square" ("自由廣場"), recall the calligraphic style of Wang Xizhi
in the East Jin Dynasty (see East Asian calligraphy
). The style is noted for its sense of vitality, movement and freedom. The characters
are placed in left-to-right sequence, following modern practice in Taiwan, rather than the right-to-left order of ancient Chinese tradition, which had been adopted at the site previously.
Liberty Square remains popular as a public meeting place and a symbol of democratic progress. Within weeks of its rededication the square was the scene of demonstrations on behalf of freedom for Tibet
, and within the year it was the scene of rallies for speech and assembly rights by the Wild Strawberry student movement
.
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...
.
Overview
At the east end of Liberty Square stands the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The square is flanked by the National Concert Hall on the north and the National Theater on the south. A park surrounds the plaza and a wall surrounds the site. The square sits within sight of the Presidential Office Building.Liberty Square regularly serves as the site of mass gatherings in Taiwan. It is the scene for red-carpet ceremonies when Taiwan's president
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
greets foreign dignitaries. Crowds gather at the square throughout the year for outdoor festivals and concerts. The Taipei Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival ; is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day...
regularly takes place on the square. On many days students, athletes and soldiers may be seen at the square, working on drills and dance routines. The National Theater and Concert Hall host over 800 events every year and provide iconic backdrops for events on the square.
The ponds and parks surrounding the memorial and cultural centers feature well-maintained lawns, trees, and pathways. The ponds are filled with colourful koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
traditionally found in gardens in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. The parks regularly play host to quieter forms of public activity, such as Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
games and taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, T'ai chi ch'uan and other martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
practices.
History
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...
remained under one-party rule by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(Chinese Nationalists). Architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Yang Cho-cheng
Yang Cho-cheng
Yang Cho-Cheng was an internationally renowned Chinese architect based in Taiwan. His professional career spanned over 60 years. Even though he was best known for his expertise in the Chinese style architecture, he was also a leading expert in manufacturing, high tech, finance, performing arts,...
conceived the plaza as part of a grand design for a memorial to 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....
, the President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
who had the government relocated to 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...
after losing power in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
during the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. The square first opened to the public as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Square after Chiang's death in 1975.
Architecture at the site incorporates many traditional elements and recalls earlier Kuomintang monuments
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum is situated at the foot of the second peak of Mount Zijin in Nanjing, China. Construction of the tomb started in January 1926 and was finished in spring of 1929. The architect was Lu Yanzhi, who died shortly after it was finished.- History :Dr...
erected in China. Yang's design symbolically assigned civic virtues to each area of the square. The main gate, the Gate of Integrity , was placed at the west end on Zhongshan South Road, with the Gate of Loyalty standing at the north side on Xinyi Road and the Gate of Piety at the south side on Aiguo East Road. A Boulevard of Homage, bordered by manicured bushes, connects the square to the memorial hall.
The square became Taipei's site of choice for mass gatherings as soon as it opened. The nature of many of those gatherings gave the site new public meanings. The square became the hub of events in the 1980s and early 1990s that ushered Taiwan into its era of modern democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. Of the many pro-democracy demonstrations that took place at the square, the most influential was the Wild Lily student movement
Wild Lily student movement
Taiwan's Wild Lily student movement or March student movement was a six-day student demonstration in 1990 for democratic reform. The sit-in at Memorial Square in Taipei, initiated by a few students from National Taiwan University, soon drew the participation of over 300,000 demonstrators...
of 1990. The movement provided the impetus for the far-reaching political reforms of President Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui
Lee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
. These culminated in the first popular elections of national leaders in 1996.
The plaza's importance in the development of Taiwan's democracy led to its dedication as Liberty Square by President 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...
in 2007. Though the announcement of the new name was greeted with hostility by a large number of the Taiwanese population, most being of the Pan-Blue camp, the name has been affirmed since by officials on both sides of the political divide.
The inscriptions over the archways, including the main gate that declares the plaza as "Liberty Square" ("自由廣場"), recall the calligraphic style of Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi was a Chinese calligrapher, traditionally referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy , who lived during the Jin Dynasty...
in the East Jin Dynasty (see East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
). The style is noted for its sense of vitality, movement and freedom. The characters
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
are placed in left-to-right sequence, following modern practice in Taiwan, rather than the right-to-left order of ancient Chinese tradition, which had been adopted at the site previously.
Liberty Square remains popular as a public meeting place and a symbol of democratic progress. Within weeks of its rededication the square was the scene of demonstrations on behalf of freedom for Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and within the year it was the scene of rallies for speech and assembly rights by the Wild Strawberry student movement
Wild Strawberry student movement
The Wild Strawberry student movement is a protest movement in Taiwan begun on November 6, 2008 after the visit of China's ARATS chairman Chen Yunlin to the island. Police actions on protests aimed at Chen suppressed the display of Taiwan's national flag and the playing of Taiwanese songs...
.
Coordinates for landmarks
- Liberty Square Main Gate: 25.036667250150774, 121.51768863201141
- Liberty Square Centre: 25.03616298655947, 121.51872128248215
- National Concert HallNational Theater and Concert HallThe National Theater and National Concert Hall are twin performing arts venues in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. Completed in 1987, they are Taiwan's primary national performing arts venues. The landmarks stand, respectively, on the south and north sides of Liberty Square in front of the...
: 25.036594344699495, 121.51896804571152 - National TheaterNational Theater and Concert HallThe National Theater and National Concert Hall are twin performing arts venues in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. Completed in 1987, they are Taiwan's primary national performing arts venues. The landmarks stand, respectively, on the south and north sides of Liberty Square in front of the...
: 25.03573284200235, 121.51846379041672 - National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall: 25.034567555808202, 121.52185544371605