CKS Memorial

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. :rofl:

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.

2 Likes

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

1 Like

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

1 Like

The place is literally open to everybody… :roll_eyes:

1 Like

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

1 Like

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.

1 Like

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. :grin:

Guy

Everyday I go there to pay homage. He was a great man. A true leader of his people.

敢想敢干

1 Like

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.

1 Like

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.

3 Likes

Are you a member of the 蔣公自慰隊? :salute:

1 Like

Once a month we ejaculate over his grave.

1 Like

That could help explain the sedimentation problems at Shimen Reservoir… :thinking:

1 Like

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.

1 Like

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.

1 Like

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:

Guy

1 Like

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.
:2cents:

1 Like