More than 40,000 people visited the memorial for former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) at the Taipei Guest House before it closed yesterday.
The 16-day memorial ended as Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) led the entire staff overseeing the memorial in bowing three times before a portrait of Lee, who died on July 30 at the age of 97.
Presidential Office statistics showed a total of 43,067 visitors, with 3,899 showing up yesterday, a daily high.
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
The parents of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) were among those who paid their respects over the 16-day period, with Ko’s mother, Ho Jui-ying (何瑞英), leaving a note on a memorial wall saying that Lee as Taiwan’s “greatest and wisest president, who was intellectual, friendly and loved the people,” while Ko’s father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), wrote “Thank you again and again. It was the Taiwanese’s honor to have you in Taiwan.”
Meanwhile, Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Representative Hiroyasu Izumi, who paid his respects to Lee on the day the memorial opened, yesterday voiced his appreciation for Lee’s contributions to Taiwan’s democracy and Taiwan-Japan relations.
The long lines of people waiting to say farewell to Lee were a testimony one of his most famous quote — “always bear the public’s interests in mind,” Izumi said. “May you rest in peace, Mr Lee, and please continue to guide us in the future.”
Photo: Chen Yu-fu, Taipei Times
Meanwhile, sources said a public memorial service for Lee is being planned for the Grand Chapel of Aletheia University in New Taipei City, perhaps on Sept. 19.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) would attend, and confer honors in recognition of Lee’s contributions to the nation, they added.
Members of the Lee funeral committee are to meet on Wednesday to discuss the details.
Additional reporting by Lee Hsin-fang
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
RSS