After Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, we proceeded to Martyr's Shrine, a place built in 1969 dedicated to the fallen heroes who fought courageously in the War for the Republic of China. As soon as we alighted from the car, we saw these two military officers armed with bayoneted rifles standing motionless at the front gate.

I think they were stationed for almost an hour under the scorching sun as great beads of perspiration stood out on their faces and with sweat-stained on their uniforms. But fortunately there was an invaluable assistant who constantly wiped the rivulets of sweat on their faces.

Going further into the shrine, we chanced upon this group of marching soldiers. Crowds of spectators including us congregated round the scene. It was exciting and fun watching these men in uniform who showed indefatigable spirit as they executed their military drill with painstaking precision. We found out later that it was the "Change of Guard Ceremony" that took place.



The Martyr's Shrine complex covers a huge area. The Main gate and its terrace sit against the backdrop of the mountain that creates a rich natural serenity and inviting ambiance.



In front of the main gate is a pair of carved marble lions, weighing 8 tons each. The one which step on a ball is a male while the other which embraces a lionet, a female.



The Main gate and its terrace have a total area of 386 square meters (256 square meters for the terrace). The structure is reinforced concrete with a glazed tiled roof and a ceiling covered with Chinese color painting. It has three shrines, a shrine for general, for civilians and for military personnel. The buildings are replica after the palaces of Ming Dynasty with its vermilion pillars and gates.




It is said that the president of Taiwan arrives every year in a great show of regalia to honor the nation's martyr.

Martyr's Shrine is located at 139 Bei-An Road, Taipei 104 Taiwan. It opens at 9:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm, Sundays to Fridays. I'm not sure about the admission because our tour guide was the one who took care of all our needs. But I guess it is free as I had not seen any ticket booths there.