Santa Claus in Taipei/ Taipei 101 with Christmas lights. | Sanchita Guha
It was the very impressive High-Speed Rail (HSR) of Taiwan that transported us from the elegant Taichung city to the capital Taipei in a matter of 70 minutes. Upon arrival in Taipei, we discovered that while it was not as perfectly aesthetic as Taichung, it had fun and character in spades.
Passengers waiting for the HSR train to go from Taichung to Taipei. | Sanchita Guha
To begin with, there was Santa Claus everywhere — and this was festive fervour with a shot of humour, as Father Christmas was not just standing still with his jolly beard but actively climbing walls around the city.
What’s more, the city was practically bursting with Christmas trees and Christmas scenes, including a full-fledged mini-village festooned with “Merry Christmas” set up inside Taipei 101. Stunningly slender Chinese girls posed with Instagram-friendly reindeer and Santa’s elves, surrounded by designer storefronts dripping with luxury.
Luxury stores inside Taipei 101. | Sanchita Guha
Christmas, in particular, showcases the American tilt in Taiwan that many older Chinese observe with a degree of discomfort. But the island nation, which constantly feels the gravitational tug of Mainland China, is open and welcoming to all cultures and lifestyles.
Chinese children perform at the Christmas village set up inside Taipei 101. | Instagram/taipei101mall_official
Anytime anyone needs a reminder of what it means to be Chinese and what this vast and ancient culture has contributed to human civilisation, they only need to spend a few hours at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. With 700,000 exhibits, this museum is one of the largest in the world, up there with the British Museum in London; the Louvre in Paris; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Statue of a Chinese lady/Statue of Lokapala | Sanchita Guha
The secrets of the famed Chinese art of ceramic painting were revealed by our museum guide, who also pointed out a particular 8th century guardian figure from the Tang dynasty named ‘Lokapala’, a Sanskrit word that indicated cross-cultural mingling via the Silk Road.
Unpeeling more layers of Chinese history — this time, of Taiwanese history — required a morning visit to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, a monument to honour the former leader of undivided China who took refuge in Taiwan following the civil war of 1949 with Mao Zedong.
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, built in 1976 in Taipei as a monument to General Chiang Kai-Shek, the former leader of China who died in Taiwan in 1975. While he lived, his military headquarters stood at this location. | Sanchita Guha
The Change of Guard ceremony at the memorial hall’s courtyard was the highlight of the morning; the extreme co-ordination and precision of the soldiers’ movements breathtaking, to say the least.
Change of Guard ceremony at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall complex.
| Sanchita Guha
Inside, a majestic bronze statue of a smiling Chiang Kai-Shek lorded over the visitors, while galleries displayed photographs from his political and military career; his armoured vehicles; and even his completely preserved office. General Chiang Kai-Shek died in 1975, still dreaming of the reunification of China. Modern Taiwan is set on charting its own course in the world, retaining its independent identity.
(The article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement between The Free Press Journal and Connected To India)
