Walking through this park relaxed me. Although it was a very hot day, I seemed to forget the heat and the hustle and bustle of Taipei's city center. I saw birds chirping and squirrels hopping around, elderly resting, even sleeping. It was as if I entered a new world. If you're tired of walking around Taipei City, this park is the best place for you to take a breather.
However relaxing my stroll was, the 228 Peace Memorial Park (228和平紀念公園) is a reminder of a very sad part of Taiwanese history. It is named after the 228 Incident. On February 28, 1947 Taiwanese rose up against the new nationalist government and were massacred by the military. The Chinese nationalists (Kuomintang) have retreated to Taiwan in 1945 and taken over the governance of the island from the Japanese, who were defeated during World War II. The new government however, was not very liked by the local Taiwanese. Corruption and nepotism were widespread, which lead to an uprising, that was sadly brutally suppressed by the military. Estimates say that between 10.000 and 30.000 people died. The incident also marked a beginning a long era of the so called White Terror, a period of the longest martial law in history (from 1949 to 1987). In 1988 Taiwan became democratic and in 1995 the taboo of the 288 Incident was officially acknowledged and openly discussed by the president. Since then the 228 Incident is commemorated every year on Feb 28. [Info sources 1, 2, 3]
A majestic pavilion.
One of my favorite photos of the park.
