Zhongshan Hall: Difference between revisions

'''Zhongshan Hall''' ({{zh|c=中山堂|p= Zhōngshān Táng}}) is a historicalhistoric building which originally functioned as the Taipei (Taihoku) City Public Auditorium (public hall). It is located at 98 Yanping South Road in the [[Ximending]] neighborhood of [[Zhongzheng District]], [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]]. In 1992, it was recognized by the government as a historic site.

As a tribute to mark the ascension of the Japanese [[Emperor Hirohito|Emperor Showa]] in 1928, the Japanese government in Taiwan dismantled the [[Qing dynasty]] government office in Taipeh ([[Taipei]]) and began the plan to erect the {{nihongo|Taihoku City Public Auditorium|臺北公會堂|Taihoku Kōkaidō}}. Construction began on 23 November 1932 and was completed on 26 November 1936. [[Ide Kaoru]], the main architect serving as Chiefchief Engineerengineer in Taiwan under the Japanese government, used the full cost of 980,000 Yenyen and 94,500 workers.

The four-story steel structure of the building was designed to be fire-resistant and to withstand severe earthquakes and typhoons. The original building was faced in light green tile to make it less visible to aerial bombers. The windows are adorned with classical designs in a Spanish Islamic style.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://englishwww.zshkotoba.govne.taipeijp/word/11/Zhongshan%20Hall | title=Zhongshan%20Hall について }}</ref> With {{convert|44179|sqft|m2}} for the ground floor, the total area of the City Public Auditorium was {{convert|113750|sqft|m2}}, making it the fourth largest city Public Auditorium in Japan at that time. It was smaller than only the City Public Halls of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

After Taiwan's [[Retrocession Day|handover]] to the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] in 1945 after World War II, the Chief of the Taiwan Provincial Administrative Office, [[Chen Yi (Kuomintang)|Chen Yi]] represented the Allies and accepted a formal surrender from the Japanese. The surrendering Japanese commander was Ando Rikichi, Japanese Governor of Taiwan. The former Taihoku City Public Auditorium was renamed Chungshan (Zhongshan) Hall in honor of [[Sun Yat-sen]] and functioned as an official meeting place under the Chinese government. The hall was one of more than 125 public halls which pre-dated the KMT's takeover which were either demolished or renamed to Zhongshan Hall. In addition new halls built by the KMT on military bases and in state-owned enterprise factories were also named Zhongshan Hall.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cheung |first1=Han |title=Taiwan in Time: How many Zhongshan Halls were built in Taiwan? |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2021/11/21/2003768218 |website=www.taipeitimes.com/ |date=21 November 2021 |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref>

Zhongshan Hall has always been one of the formal reception areas for welcoming foreign guests and diplomats. Former guests have included US President [[Richard Nixon]], South Korean President [[Syngman Rhee]], President of South Vietnam [[Ngo Dinh Diem]], Philippine President [[Carlos P. Garcia]], Iranian Shah [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], and others. Zhongshan Hall has also hosted memorial ceremonies such as the signing of the [[Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty]] and three formal inauguration ceremonies of the second, third, and fourth presidency and vice-presidency of the [[Republic of China]].<ref>[http://english.taipei.gov.tw/MP_100002.html Zhongshan Hall History]</ref>

* Sun Yat-Sen statue: In the plaza, there is a bronze statue of Sun Yat-Sen sculpted by [[Pu Tiansheng]]. Pu used a picture of Sun making a speech in Nagasaki, Japan in 1924 as a model for the sculpture. The unveiling took place on 10 October, 1949

ByExit publicNo. transit,5 takeof the [[Taipei Metro]]'s [[Ximen Station]] Exitprovides No. 5access to access the hall. There is also an underground parking lot.

Image:AndoGeneral RikichiChen Yi of China accepts the surrender of Andō Rikichi, the Japanese Governor-General of.jpg|[[Chen Yi (Kuomintang)|Chen Yi]] (right) accepting the acceptance receipt of Order No. 1 signed by [[Rikichi Andō]] (left), the last Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan, in Zhongshan Hall.

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