Cihu Mausoleum (), officially known as the Mausoleum of Late President Chiang () or President Chiang Kai-shek Mausoleum, is the final resting place of
President
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Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
. It is located in
Daxi District
Daxi District (), formerly known as Daxi Township (), is a district in eastern Taoyuan City, Taiwan. In March 2012, it was named one of the ''Top 10 Small Tourist Towns'' by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan.
History
The Daxi area was occupied ...
,
Taoyuan City
Taoyuan () is a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in northwestern Taiwan, neighboring New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County to the south-east, and Hsinchu County to the south-west. Taoyuan Distr ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. When Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, he was not
buried in the traditional Chinese fashion but entombed in a black marble
sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
that can be seen today at the mausoleum.
Lake and residence
Cihu (慈湖) literally means "benevolence lake", and it refers to the eight acre (32,000 m²) lake located near the tomb-site. The lake is divided into two smaller lakes, 5 acres (20,000 m²) and 3 acres (12,000 m²) each with a canal connecting them together. It was formerly called "Green Water Lake" () until Chiang Kai-shek renamed it as "Cihu" in 1962 because the scenery reminded him of his benevolent mother and his home town,
Fenghua
Fenghua (; ) is a district of the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. The district and its administrative hinterlands has a population of over 480,000.
Fenghua is most famous for being the hometown of former Presidents Chiang Kai-shek ...
. Chiang loved the lake so much that he had an official residence built nearby to architecturally resemble the houses in Fenghua. He also named his favorite residence ''Cihu'', which was converted to his
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
upon his death in 1975. Chiang's body lies in the main hall of the residence. The residence was designed by architect
Yang Cho-cheng
Yang Cho-cheng (; 1914 – 26 November 2006) was an internationally renowned Chinese architect. One of his best-known works is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a major landmark in Taipei – with his design being chosen from entries in an in ...
.
Tomb
The Presidential Burial Place was formerly under the jurisdiction of the
Republic of China Ministry of National Defense and guarded by the
Republic of China Military Police
The Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP; ) is a military police body under the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan. Unlike military police in many other countries, the ROCMP is a separate branch of the ROC Armed Forces. ROCMP is res ...
. Management of the grounds was transferred to the Taoyuan County government in 2007, and the military police were removed. Two ceremonial guards from the armed forces stand at attention at the entrance to the former Chiang residence. It is customary to give a respectful bow. Visitors are not allowed to take photographs inside the mausoleum, a prohibition that doesn't apply to the outside.
Cihu is perennially open daily for visits from 8am to 4pm (though it was closed from December 2007 to May 2008, during the waning months of
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian (; born 12 October 1950) is a retired Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whic ...
's administration). Interest in the Burial Place was actually revived this two years as it became embroiled in the then ruling
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a Taiwanese nationalist and centre-left political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Controlling both the Republic of China presidency and the unicameral Legislative Yuan, it is the majori ...
’s campaign to remove public vestiges of the man many see as a brutal dictator.
During those two years, Chiang Kai-shek statues from around
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
were relocated to the hillside park near the mausoleum.
Prior to the late 1990s, visitors would line up hours for the chance to pay their respects to Chiang Kai-shek (either by bowing three times or saluting before the sarcophagus). Schoolchildren were often bussed in to do the same. At the anniversary of his death on April 5, high-ranking
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
officials would pay homage to the late President in lavish ceremonies. Since democratization of Taiwan during the 1990s, the visitors to Cihu have dwindled in their numbers and the next generation of KMT officials, have visited with less pomp and ceremony. Supporters of
Taiwan independence
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
(and pro-independence leaders such as
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian (; born 12 October 1950) is a retired Taiwanese politician and lawyer who served as the president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) whic ...
) do not visit the site due to their dislike for Chiang Kai-shek—a leader whom they viewed as one who imposed authoritarian rule on Taiwan.
When Chiang Kai-shek's son, President
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo (27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China after its retreat to Taiwan. The eldest and only biological son of former president Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government ...
, died in 1988 he was also entombed in a similar fashion in nearby
Touliao Mausoleum
Touliao Mausoleum or Daxi Mausoleum () is the resting place for Republic of China President Chiang Ching-Kuo located in Daxi District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
History
The Mausoleum building was originally known as the "Touliao guesthouse" and was ...
,
Daxi. This gained Daxi the reputation as the “township of the Presidents”. In 2004,
Chiang Fang-liang
Faina Chiang Fang-liang (, born Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva (russian: Фаина Ипатьевна Вахрева, be, Фаіна Іпацьеўна Вахрава; 15 May 1916 – 15 December 2004) was the First Lady of the Republic of Chin ...
, the widow of Chiang Ching-kuo, asked that both father and son be buried at
Wuchih Mountain Military Cemetery
The Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery (, sometimes romanized as ''Wuchih'') is Taiwan's most prominent military cemetery. The cemetery is located on Wuzhi Mountain () at an elevation of in Xizhi, New Taipei City and borders Taipei City's Neihu Di ...
in Hsichih, Taipei County. The state funeral ceremony was planned for late 2006, but due to repeated delays, no ceremony was ever held or materialized. There was public debate if another national funeral should be held again for the burial in Wuchih Mountain Military Cemetery, with fervent supporters of
Taiwan independence
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...
against granting honors to someone whom they view as a
dictator
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in times ...
. However, President Chen was inclined to hold another national funeral (the first to invoke the state funeral law) but limited it to one day. Chiang Fang-liang and
Soong Mei-ling
Soong Mei-ling (also spelled Soong May-ling, ; March 5, 1898 – October 23, 2003), also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek or Madame Chiang, was a Chinese political figure who was First Lady of the Republic of China, the wife of Generalissimo a ...
had agreed in 1997 that the former leaders be first buried but still be moved to mainland China in the event of reunification. Soong Mei-ling died in 2003 and was entombed at
Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located at 280 Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States, about north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian. Fernc ...
in
New York.
Chiang Fang-liang
Faina Chiang Fang-liang (, born Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva (russian: Фаина Ипатьевна Вахрева, be, Фаіна Іпацьеўна Вахрава; 15 May 1916 – 15 December 2004) was the First Lady of the Republic of Chin ...
died in 2004 and her cremated remains were placed next to her husband's tomb at Touliao.
With the election of
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
candidate
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, 馬英九, born 13 July 1950) is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996 and mayor of Taipei from ...
in the
2008 Republic of China presidential election,
Taoyuan County
Taoyuan County () is under the administration of Changde, Hunan, Hunan Province, China. The Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. It covers an area of 4441 square kilometers, of which is arable land. It is from Zhangji ...
officials hoped the mausoleum would be reopened and planned to give the public a glimpse of a previously restricted section of the park.
The residence was converted into his temporary resting site after his death on 5 April 1975 and opened to visitors. But the mysterious grounds behind the mausoleum remained under the control of the Ministry of National Defense, making it impossible for the public to appreciate the beauty of the location or Chiang’s security precautions. The trail into the lush woodlands of the restricted area is punctuated with blockhouses, stone-walled sentry posts and bomb shelters, reflecting the tensions between Chiang’s government and its Chinese communist rival and his concern for his own safety.
It has recently been revealed that the site was involved in the top secret plan to retake Mainland China called
Project National Glory
Project Guoguang (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Kwet-kwong Kè-va̍k''; ) was an attempt by the Republic of China (ROC), based in Taiwan, to reconquer mainland China from the People's Republic of China (PRC) by large scale invasion. It was the most elabo ...
(國光計劃). In April 1964, Chiang ordered the construction of air-raid shelters and five military offices at Cihu, which served as a secret command center for Project National Glory.
The tomb was vandalized by pro-independence activists on 28 February 2018, the 71st anniversary of the 228 incident, and the activists were later arrested. Because of the vandalism, the tomb is now separated by a glass panel for visitors to view the sarcophagus from the outside, therefore the room is no longer accessible to the general public.
Gallery
Image:Taiwan 2009 CiHu Mausoleom of Chiang Kai Shek in TaoYuan County FRD 7825.jpg
Image:Taiwan 2009 CiHu Mausoleom of Chiang Kai Shek in TaoYuan County FRD 7815.jpg
Image:Taiwan 2009 Garden of the Generalissimos at CiHu Mausoleom of Chiang Kai Shek in TaoYuan County FRD 7870.jpg
Image:Taiwan 2009 Garden of the Generalissimos at CiHu Mausoleom of Chiang Kai Shek in TaoYuan County FRD 7879.jpg
See also
*
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum () is situated at the foot of the second peak of Purple Mountain (Nanjing), Purple Mountain in Nanjing, China. Construction of the tomb started in January 1926, and was finished in spring of 1929. The architect was L ...
*
Touliao Mausoleum
Touliao Mausoleum or Daxi Mausoleum () is the resting place for Republic of China President Chiang Ching-Kuo located in Daxi District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
History
The Mausoleum building was originally known as the "Touliao guesthouse" and was ...
*
Shilin Official Residence
The Shilin Official Residence () is the former residence of late Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek located on Zhongshan North Road in Shilin District, Taipei, Taiwan.
History
During the Japanese Colonial era on Taiwan, it was the ...
*
Guesthouses of Chiang Kai-shek The Guesthouses of Chiang Kai-shek () were built in order for the former President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, to have places to stay while travelling on inspection tours and holidays around Taiwan. According to current Republic of Ch ...
*
National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall () is a national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei.
The monument, surround ...
*
Chiang Kai-shek statues
Chiang Kai-shek statues ( or ) are statues of the late Republic of China (ROC) President Chiang Kai-shek. They are found almost everywhere in Taiwan, from parks to schools to military bases, and are usually made of a bronze alloy, although ...
*
Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery
The Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery (, sometimes romanized as ''Wuchih'') is Taiwan's most prominent military cemetery. The cemetery is located on Wuzhi Mountain () at an elevation of in Xizhi, New Taipei City and borders Taipei City's Neihu Di ...
* (Former Tomb and Memorial Museum of
Chen Cheng
Chen Cheng (; ; January 4, 1898 – March 5, 1965) was a Chinese political and military leader, and one of the main commanders of the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War.
After moving ...
, demolished in 1995)
*
Mausoleum of Mao Zedong
The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall (), also known as the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, is the final resting place of Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party from 1943 and the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from 194 ...
References
External links
Cihu Presidential Burial Place (Cultural Affairs Bureau, Taoyuan County Government)Cihu Presidential Mausoleum Pictures (Daily Bubble Tea) (2008-10-17)
{{coord, 24.8422, 121.2993, type:landmark_region:TW, display=title
Chiang Kai-shek
Buildings and structures in Taoyuan City
Mausoleums in Taiwan
Tourist attractions in Taoyuan City