En svensk i Taiwan

Did you see the Japanese video loop at the new museum on Nan Hai road? Seems to be a sort of Taiwan travel-log made in the 1930s. Very interesting.

Interesting also is how they have apparently decided to leave that Japanese-era building in an only semi-restored state.

I read a scary article in one of the local papers a few weeks ago about some rabid DPP nationalist who did not only weant to tear down the CKS Memorial Hall, but also wanted to get rid of all the old Japanese buildings, since those reminders of oppressions past do not belong in the new Taiwan. He didn't like the fact that the president sits in an old Japanese building, for example. Unfortunately I didn't bookmark the article.

I really hope that view will not gain ground, since it would mean tearing down the only nice buildings here in Taipei.

I know that a lot of the deep-green supporters also want to see the walls around the (former) CKS memorial hall torn down, but I hope they don't get their way. The walls make the park inside considerably more peaceful.

I was there for an hour or so yesterday (Saturday) to see what was going on. Lots of police and the usual pro-green and pro blue crowds, though the pro-greens were about 85% of the crowd. The BBC reported that the president had presided over a name-change ceremony during the day, but I wonder where it happened. The police were letting no one into the grounds. The president's press secretary showed up and mingled a bit.

There's a nice new metal sign on the right of the main entrance with the new name, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it has already been vandalized. I hope they have a bunch of extra signs, because they will be replacing them frequently.

wow...the wikipedia site already has the photos of the new sign, as well as news of yesterday's gathering at the main gate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek_Memorial_Hall

I am still curious to see what is going to happen when they will remove the hideous statue of CKS. That will surely be uglier than having an old veteran drop his pants and shout "Chen Shui-bian" has no balls." John Chiang, the (formerly illegitimate) grandson of CKS, has already been on TV practically daring the government to remove it, saying that Chen Shui-bian doesn't have the guts to do so, i.e., the CKS-lovers already know that the statue will be removed, and that their days may well be numbered.