The dispute over the fate of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall continued yesterday as the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs announced that it had begun a review of the memorial's historical and cultural significance.
The Cabinet announced on Friday that the hall would be renamed "Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall" and the white-washed walls surrounding the memorial would be demolished. But the department said yesterday that residents and historians had filed applications with the department asking for the hall's significance to be reviewed. As such, the department said it was obligated by the Cultural Heritage Preservation Law (文化資產保存法) to investigate.
"The city government takes no sides in matter. Whether or not the walls should be preserved or demolished will be decided after the committee has completed its review. The city government will respect the committee's final decision," Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (
Department Commissioner Lee Yong-ping (
The department will invite committee members to examine the hall on March 26 and hold public hearings before making a decision, Lee said.
The law states that anyone damaging a monument is liable to a punishment of seven years in jail and a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$300,000.
Pan-green Taipei city councilors accused Hau, son of former premier and Chiang loyalist Hau Pei-tsun (
"As the hall is less than 30 years old, it cannot be recognized as a historical monument," said Taipei City Councilor Chien Yu-yen (
Councilor Lee Ching-feng (
Lee Yong-ping acknowledged that the hall, which was opened in 1980, was the newest building to be evaluated for its cultural and historical significance.
But he said that age was not the only determining factor. He added that the hall had been made a "temporary monument" to protect it during the evaluation period.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said it supported the city government's decision.
KMT Legislator Lee Ching-an (
The DPP caucus, however, said the measure was inappropriate and urged the city government not to stifle public debate.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said the memorial's outer walls must be torn down because they symbolized the gap between the dictator and the public.
"The land belongs to the people so we want to make it a public park. That is why we want to tear down the walls," Su said in response to a question from KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (
"I really do not understand why the Taipei City Government would try to stop us by making the memorial hall a monument," Su said.
Vice President Annette Lu (
Additional reporting by Flora Wang and Ko Shu-ling
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