Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei)

The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Chinese: 國立國父紀念館; pinyin: Guólì Guófù Jìniàn Guǎn; lit. 'National 'Father of the Nation' Memorial Hall') is located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a memorial to the Republic of China's National Father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and was completed in 1972. The total building area covers 29,464 square metres (7.3 acres) in an open space of 115,000 square metres (28.4 acres). It contains displays of Sun's life and the revolution he led, and is also a multi-purpose social, educational and cultural center for the public.

This article is about the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. For the one of the same name in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China, see Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Guangzhou). For the one in Singapore, see Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.
National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
國立國父紀念館
LocationXinyi, Taipei, Taiwan
DesignerWang Da-hong
TypeMemorial
MaterialConcrete
Height29.6 m (97 ft)
Completion date16 May 1972
Dedicated toSun Yat-sen

Description

The main entrance to the hall contains a statue of Sun Yat-sen. Every hour, there is a formal changing of the guards, which is a popular tourist attraction. The building also includes a performance hall, an exhibition center of about 10,000 square feet (1,000 m2), a multimedia theatre, an audio-visual center, lecture halls, and a library with over 300,000 books.

The building itself is sited in Chung-shan Park. It includes gardens, decorative historical walls, and an exhibition and performance area surrounding Lake Cui (Chinese: 翠湖; pinyin: Cuì Hú), also known as Emerald Pond.

History

Taiwan's government began to prepare the construction of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in 1964. In 1965, President Chiang Kai-shek officiated the groundbreaking ceremony. The design plan by architect Wang Ta-hung was selected in a public contest one year later, and modified under the instruction of Chiang, to emphasize Chinese architectural characteristics. The main construction was completed on 16 May 1972. Chiang's funeral was held in the main hall of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in 1975. Originally, the Memorial Hall primarily functioned as a place to display the historical relics of Sun's life and the Xinhai Revolution. It was later opened to exhibitions and performances. Taiwan's highest movie award ceremony, the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, is held annually in the Memorial Hall Auditorium.

Initially affiliated with the city government of Taipei, the Memorial Hall became part of the Ministry of Education, together with the Chung-Shan Building in Yangmingshan, in 1986.

Transportation

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is accessible within walking distance East from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station of the Taipei Metro (Blue) Bannan Line towards Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre.

See also

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