Liberty Square (Taipei)
25°2′4″N 121°31′18″E / 25.03444°N 121.52167°E
Liberty Square (Chinese: 自由廣場) is a public plaza covering over 240,000 square meters in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. At the east end of the square stands the [[National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, also called the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. The square is flanked by the National Concert Hall on the north and the National Theater on the south. A park surrounds the plaza and a wall surrounds the site. The square sits within sight of the Presidential Office Building.
Liberty Square regularly serves as the site of a number of mass gatherings in Taiwan. It is the scene for red-carpet ceremonies when Taiwan's president greets foreign dignitaries. Crowds gather at the square throughout the year for outdoor festivals and concerts. Every year the Taipei Lantern Festival takes place on the square. On normal days students, athletes and soldiers may be seen at the square, working on drills and dance routines. The National Theater and Concert Hall host over 800 events every year and provide iconic backdrops for events on the square.
The ponds and parks surrounding the memorial and cultural centers feature well-maintained lawns, trees, and pathways. The ponds are filled with the colourful koi traditionally found in gardens in East Asia. One often sees people in the parks playing Go or practicing taekwondo, Tai chi chuan and other martial arts.
History
The square had its beginnings in the late 1970s when Taiwan was under one-party rule by the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalists). Architect Yang Cho-cheng conceived the plaza as part of a grand design for a memorial to Chiang Kai-shek, the Kuomintang leader and President of the Republic of China who relocated to Taiwan after losing power in the Chinese Civil War. The square was designed and opened to the public as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Square after Chiang's death in 1975.
Architecture at the site evokes Chinese traditions. Yang's plan gave each element of the square a symbolic importance. A main gate, the Gate of Great Centrality and Perfect Uprightness (Chinese: 大中至正) was placed at the west end on Chung Shan South Road, with a Gate of Great Loyalty (simplified Chinese: 大忠门; traditional Chinese: 大忠門) standing at the north side on Hsin Yi (Xinyi) Road and a Gate of Great Piety (simplified Chinese: 大孝门; traditional Chinese: 大孝門) on the south side on Ai Kuo (Aiguo) East Road. A Boulevard of Homage, bordered by manicured bushes, leads from the square to the memorial hall.
The square immediately became the favoured site for mass gatherings in Taipei. Within ten years this function made it a crucial player in the arrival of Taiwan's modern democracy. The pro-democracy demonstrations that took place at the square, including the Wild Lily student movement of 1990, spurred major political reforms under President Lee Teng-hui that culminated in the first popular elections of national leaders in 1996.
Its importance in the arrival of democracy led to the square acquiring its present name in 2007.[1] Within weeks demonstrations took place at the main gate of Liberty Square on behalf of freedom for Tibet.