A Forest of Autocrats

Some weeks ago (yes, I know I've been slow in updating this blog), I drove out to Tzuhu in Taoyuan County, which is home to the mausoleum of Chiang Kai-shek, the former president (or dictator) of Taiwan. In recent years his stature as a national hero has diminished to near nothingness, but he is still revered by some loyalists. Love him or hate him, monuments dedicated to him make interesting curiosities to pay visits to, and his mausoleum and the accompanying park are no exception.

In fact, last December, outgoing president Chen Shui-bian ordered the mausoleum closed in a last-ditch F. U. to Chiang's legacy before his term ended. Since its re-opening by his KMT successor Ma Ying-jeou, this destination has been more popular than ever. I visited a couple years ago, and there were few people there; now the place is swamped with tourists.

The mausoleum itself is interesting, especially the Changing of the Guard, which I put up on YouTube.

But every bit as interesting is the eerie statue park, which is the final resting place of hundreds of CKS statues and busts that were dismantled around Taiwan since 2000. It's a great place to take photos, especially when there aren't many people around (rare these days). To take these photos, I had to do a lot of waiting, and in some shots I positioned myself so tourists were hidden behind the statues.