Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery

The Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery (Chinese: 五指山國軍示範公墓; pinyin: Wǔzhǐ Shān Guójūn Shìfàn Gōngmù, sometimes romanized as Wuchih) is Taiwan's most prominent military cemetery. The cemetery is located on Wuzhi Mountain (五指山) at an elevation of 699 metres (2,293 ft)[2] in Xizhi, New Taipei City and borders Taipei City's Neihu District and Yangmingshan National Park. The cemetery has a wide open view ranging from the Taipei 101 over at Taipei's Xinyi District to the Keelung Harbor.[2]

Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery
五指山國軍示範公墓
Details
Established1982[1]
Location
Xizhi, New Taipei, Taiwan
Coordinates25°8′2.75″N 121°37′0.27″E
TypeMilitary cemetery
Owned by
Size225.7 ha (78 ha useable)[1]
No. of graves9,236[1]
Websiteafrc.mnd.mil.tw/cemetery/default.aspx
Find a GraveWuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery

History
Honor Guards lined up at the Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery, 3 September 2014

General Chiang Wei-kuo, the adopted son of Chiang Kai-shek, conceived and designed the cemetery. Prior to the construction of the cemetery, the land was used as a golf course.[2] Planning for the cemetery started in April 1980, with construction starting on March 20, 1981; the cemetery opened on March 29, 1982.[1]

A four-story columbarium named the Memorial Palace (忠靈殿) was opened on January 20, 2002 after two years of construction. It has a total capacity of 19,537 niches[3] on the four named floors:[4]

  1. 吉地廳; Jí De Tīng; 'Auspicious Hall'
  2. 乾黃廳; Gān Huáng Tīng; 'Dry Yellow Hall'
  3. 九玄廳; Jiǔ Xuán tīng; 'Nine Mysteries Hall'
  4. 浩天廳; Hào Tiān tīng; 'Good Heaven Hall'

Issues

Capacity

Although the cemetery has nearly 226 hectares total area, the terrain and building codes restrict interment to only 78 ha of the land.[5] As of 2004, the cemetery, which has 9,236 grave plots, is nearly full;[6] further deceased military officials will need to be cremated and their ashes stored in the columbarium.

Chiang family

In 2004, Chiang Fang-liang made a request to inter the bodies of Chiang Kai-shek and his son, Chiang Ching-kuo at Wuzhi.[6] However, the plan did not receive universal support from the Chiang family, and despite the completion of their tombs at Wuzhi,[7] Chiang Kai-shek and his son remain at Cihu and Touliao, respectively.[8]

Notable interments

Most are senior generals who served under KMT from mainland China or dignitaries

See also

References
  1. 緣起沿革 [Origin History]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  2. "Origin & Revolution". Republic of China Military Cemetery. 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  3. "The Palace". Republic of China Military Cemetery. 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  4. 忠靈殿 [Memorial Palace]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  5. 示範公墓 [National Military Model Public Cemetery Profile]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  6. Chang, Yun-ping; Chuang, Jimmy (July 9, 2004). "Generalissimo to be buried in Taiwan". Taipei Times. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  7. Saunders, Richard (November 13, 2008). "Hiking up to Plum Blossom Hill". The China Post. Taipei. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  8. Matten, Marc Andre (December 9, 2011). "The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei: A Contested Place of Memory". In Matten, Marc Andre (ed.). Places of Memory in Modern China: History, Politics, and Identity. BRILL. pp. 56–57. ISBN 978-9004219014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  9. Wang, Flora (December 10, 2007). "Chiang seeks help on mausoleums". Taipei Times. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
  10. 二級上將 [Superior General Second Class (General)/Superior Admiral (Admiral)]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  11. 部長‧副部長 [Minister · Deputy Minister]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  12. 一級上將 [Superior General First Class (General of the Army)/General Admiral (Admiral of the fleet)]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  13. 總統 [President]. Armed Forces Reserve Command, Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese). 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  14. "丁德隆". Anxiera (in Chinese).
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