Taiwan: The future of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

On March 2, 2007, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, decided to change the name of ‘Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall‘ to ‘Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall’ and to remove the enclosing walls to make the area around the memorial hall a more open public space.
To keep the integrity of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, which was built in 1980, Department of Culture, Taipei City Government, decided to evaluate if this area can be set as a national monument on March 5, 2007.
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall collects stuffs used by  Chiang Kai-Shek, who was a president here from 1950 to 1975.  (The preserved remains of this previous president can still be visited in Tsu-Hu, Taoyuan.)  Wei-Chen Tseng thought we should change the usage of the place:
這一個廣闊的園地理應歸還全民，而非存留為專制獨夫所服務。
Chih-Hung Wang talked about the history of the memorial hall:
「戰時首都」所含攝的復國意識形態和威權政治，與「現代化都市」的追尋，這兩種都市意義也不見得會一直相安無事，而有潛在衝突的可能。有個非常明顯的例子 涉及了目前中正紀念堂所在基地的用途。《台北畫刊》第67期（1973.7）報導了「營邊新社區」計劃，要籌資一百五十億元在信義路營邊段建設六十二英畝 的「現代化商業中心」，興建五座十八至五十層樓不等的辦公大樓，三座廿四層至卅層的國際觀光旅館和公寓，四棟百貨商場，以及會議廳、世界貿易中心、文化中 心和遊樂設施等，大樓間以輸送系統連結，行人以履帶運送。該期的封面與內文，都附有透視圖，全是高聳的玻璃帷幕大樓。這個充滿「現代化與科技進步」想像的 計劃，預計1974年6 月起開發。但是1975年蔣介石過世，計劃急轉彎改為中正紀念堂的用地。
In the wrestling between the Democratic Progressive Party, which leads Executive Yuan, and KaoMinTang, which leads Taipei City Government, bloggers in Taiwan have different opinions toward the actions taken by the two parties.
No one goes to UK thought the point is not removing the enclosing walls:
中正紀念堂圍牆的拆除已有前例可循，兩廳院旁的部份欄杆圍籬在2003年就已拆除，由知名建築師姚政仲設計，他將圍籬撤除後所騰出來的空間，與書店、噴泉、咖啡座、戶外表演場、藝術旅遊諮詢中心相結合，圍塑出民眾休閒、看戲、買書、喝咖啡的絕佳去處。
也因此，「拆/不拆」圍牆的核心問題，永遠不在於強化「藍」、「綠」劍拔弩張的對決態勢，而在於能不能強化公民社會的網絡機能。
Prometheus thought even though politicians think the memorial hall is a political symbol, ‘to most people, it is simply a place for dating, jogging, and strolling.’
不過，對大多數人而言，中正紀念堂，其實不代表任何政治上的意義，僅代表了一個休閒約會的場所，還有跑步散步的地方。
How's sketch book also pointed out the same contradiction:
中正紀念堂作為威權的權威象徵，從仿中國宮殿的建築本體、週邊的空間配置（花園、廣場），到空間的使用（除了現在的兩廳院）處處流露著象徵符號。但有趣的 是，1980年落成的中正紀念堂，他本身的存在竟是如此尷尬。有多少人會去看蔣介石的銅像？去看蔣中正的文物？城市市民賦予中正紀念堂的是雲門、是樂儀旗 隊、是熱舞、是花燈、是演唱會…甚至是解嚴前後政治運動的基地：在蔣 家中正大廟底下，要蔣家交出壟斷的政治資源。這是一種多妙的嘲諷與記憶象徵。
並不是把深宮大院中正廟改成「台灣民主紀念館」 ，就代表我們珍惜所謂的「民主」了。拆掉圍牆，就空間而言的確會更有穿透性，但是不是有穿透性的空間就代表他是一個友善的，讓人可以沉浸在裡面的空間？
Changing the name from Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall to Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall does not mean how we cherish what is so-called ‘democracy’.  Removing the enclosing walls may make the space more transparent, but it cannot promise a friendly place where people would love to immerse themselves in.
Focus on Taiwan has similar opinion toward ‘Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall':
台灣的民主是現在進行式，不需要設一個民主紀念館來造其他的神，我認為蔣渭水，郭雨新、黃信介、鄭南榕等人一定不希望有人用這種類似帝王陵寢紀念館的方法紀念他們
From a different perspective,  George Lee concerned the tourism function of the place:
中正紀念堂已經是觀光客來台北的大景點之一了。許多外國朋友來到台北，除了故宮和小吃以外，通常也都會詢問中正紀念堂的交通方式、遊園路線。即使 蔣中正罪大惡極，那麼留著中正紀念堂也無礙史官撥亂反正，甚至更能當作當年威權統治的罪證。貿然改名，只是徒自讓台北市少了吸引觀光客的賣點，讓鄰近商家 和小販生意直線下落而已。
About the enclosing walls, bloggers also have different feelings.
Zonble pointed out that on Yuan-Hsiao Festival,  lanterns are hang on the corridors.  The current design keeps the lanterns from the rain, and the windows on the walls can deflect the light to the other side of the walls to form a ‘light corridor.’
在元宵節的時候，你可以看到，因為圍牆內部就是迴廊，而迴廊上頭可 以懸掛燈籠，迴廊有屋頂，所以燈籠可以因此不受雨淋，而圍牆上的造型窗戶同時又可以將燈光透射到外頭，從信義路或是愛國東路經過時，你會覺得自己走過一道光廊。
On the other hand, Life's basketball field said, ‘when I ride my motorcycle there, I need to walk around the enclosing wall to find the entrance after I park.  Every time I walk around the wall, the idea of climbing the wall is always in my mind.  I really think the walls obstruct the sight and they are better to be removed.’
有時騎機車去中正廟，停完車還要繞一下圍牆，每次繞圍牆的時候我滿腦子都想著爬牆。圍牆的確阻隔了視覺，拆掉會更好，我是這麼相信的。
After Taipei City Government made the memorial hall as ‘temporary national monument,’ bloggers questioned the motivation for the action.  The island left behind said:
看到「暫定古蹟」四個字，我第一個聯想到的是到現在遲遲無法定案的樂生療養院。第二個想到的，是台北市政府的邏輯不知為何？1925年由士紳合資興建的大龍峒孔廟圍牆要拆，而整整晚了55 年，1980 年建立的中正廟圍牆卻突然成了古蹟？
Trace said, ‘to claim their right to govern the place, the current rulers need to affirm themselves by denying the previous ruler.
為了保住統治正當性，即使是延續前朝的政權，也要透過否定前人來肯定自己。
Hopefully the politicians will take an action that is not only good for their political party but also good for the people.  After all, in this county, the civilians are supposed to be the one who has the power instead of an emperor, a dictator, or a political party winning the previous election.