Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei)

This article is about the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China). 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.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall 國立國父紀念館
Sun Yat-sen Memorial hall
Location	Taipei, Taiwan
Designer	Wang Dahong (王大閎)
Type	Memorial
Material	Concrete
Height	29.6 m (97 ft)
Completion date	May 16, 1972
Dedicated to	Sun Yat-sen

The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Chinese: 國立國父紀念館; pinyin: Guólì Guófù Jìniàn Guǎn; literally "National 'Father of the Nation' Memorial Hall") is located in Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan). It is a memorial to the Republic of China's National Father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and was completed on 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.

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 May 16, 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.

Gallery of Images

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  The exterior of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

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  Honor guards of Republic of China Armed Forces inside the concourse

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  Interior of the main entrance of the hall, with the statue of Sun Yat-sen in the middle

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  Bridge and pavilion in Chung-shan Park

See also

• National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
• Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum
• Sun Yat Sen Memorial House
• Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
• Chung-Shan Building

External links

• (English) National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall official website

Coordinates: 25°2′24″N 121°33′36″E / 25.04°N 121.56°E / 25.04; 121.56