How about “Free Beer”. That always draws a crowd.
Brian Hioe 丘琦欣
Brian Hioe 丘琦欣 @brianhioe
How about “Free Beer”. That always draws a crowd.
Hey if this keeps the punters out of my preferred Louisa on a Sunday afternoon, I’m all for it.
Guy
They are now talking about replacing the memorial with the legislature. I actually like that idea a lot. The current legislature building is too old and too small.
There’s also some kind of competition for redesigning the park area.
A similar kind of competition / exhibition was held back in 2017 in the early heady days of transitional justice, named “Post-Martial Law: Imagining Memorial.” I really enjoyed that show. One account of it appears here:
Guy
Is there an article about this?
The problem with the top 3 of those 4 designs is they screw up the line of sight to the monument. Seems like a common sense thing to maintain
Yes there is, in today’s Taipei Times:
The monument’s current uniaxial design (seemingly beloved by fascists everywhere, including the guys who were running Taiwan at the time) is something that will almost certainly be changed, with sightlines reoriented. Put otherwise: the new designs are seeking new ways of seeing.
Guy
The place is literally open to everybody…
It’s interesting here to consider what Kaohsiung did with their dictator hall back when Frank Hsieh was mayor. He simply went in and took down the walls, and renamed the space “Kaohsiung Cultural Center.” Symbolically and physically, it helped open up the space.
Taipei, sadly, seems to lag behind in understanding why dictator worship may not be the best way forward for us as an inclusive democratic society.
Guy
The walls are one of the best parts of the current design. They cut out most of the traffic noise, which is a wonderful thing. CKS as it is now is one of the best public spaces in Taiwan.
Pure hogwash. Who goes there these days to worship the dead dictator? An exceedingly small number of sad old men. Most people don’t care.
Well it’s my tax money too. I live here too. I don’t appreciate this massive amount of space being dedicated to this one man who caused a lot of harm. It’s time for Taipei to catch up with the larger trend.
Guy
Everyday I go there to pay homage. He was a great man. A true leader of his people.
敢想敢干
All they really need to do is get rid of the weird S&M flag ritual with the military police dudes and put a funny hat on CKS. Problem solved and billions in tax dollars saved.
Agreed. I used to live near there and go run in the park at night. It’s amazing how quiet it is once you enter the grounds.
Everyday I go there to pay homage. He was a great man. A true leader of his people.
Are you a member of the 蔣公自慰隊?
Once a month we ejaculate over his grave.
Once a month we ejaculate over his grave.
That could help explain the sedimentation problems at Shimen Reservoir…
he monument’s current uniaxial design (seemingly beloved by fascists everywhere, including the guys who were running Taiwan at the time) is something that will almost certainly be changed, with sightlines reoriented.
I mean, the big open plaza does feel a bit dictator-y, but it’s nice in its own unique way. I think the area around statue bldg could def be improved, but I’m not feeling any of the proposed designs.
EDIT: I just noticed all of those designs get rid of the current lake. That area is clearly well-liked. Dumb.
The problem with the top 3 of those 4 designs is they screw up the line of sight to the monument. Seems like a common sense thing to maintain
The striaght and upwards sight to the monument suggests diviness. It’s how Shinto shines and imperial palaces were built. It’s also why the place is referred to as Temple of CKS by locals. The point of redesign is to remove the symbol of authoritarianism. Rearranging the axis is the easiest way to go about it.
In line with the irreverent tone of some posts in this thread, Brian Hioe at New Bloom offers his modest proposal on how to revamp the memorial:
Brian Hioe 丘琦欣 @brianhioe
Guy
The Youthtopia design will not age well (though it would probably look less bad up close).
明日公園 has a similar problem.
相遇 looks pretty bland.
羞愧的良心 manages to look creative in a way that doesn’t say “I’m trying to look creative”. It actually looks cool.