Taipei’s National Martyrs’ Shrine: The Past and Present Lives of a Difficult Monument

This chapter focuses on the spatial history of the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine in Taipei (hereinafter referred to as the National Martyrs’ Shrine unless otherwise noted) and its surroundings, Taipei’s Yuanshan Area. Through an examination of the spatial transformation of Yuanshan Area and its visual representations, I argue that the changing nature, memory, and symbolism of Yuanshan Area was shaped by various regimes with their own urban modernization agendas and ideals constituted of Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese identities. The National Martyrs’ Shrine, located in Dazhi, Yuanshan Area, Taipei, manifests the legitimacy and dignity of the Republic of China on Taiwan – —even if its sovereign status is not widely recognized in the international community.