The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Republic of China between 1928 and 1975. The monument, surrounded by a park, stands at the east end of Memorial Hall Square, being framed on the north and south by the National Theater and National Concert Hall. It is white, with four sides, and the roof is blue and octagonal (eight is a number traditionally associated in Asia with abundance and good fortune).
Two sets of white stairs, each with 89 steps to represent Chiang's age at the time of his death, lead to the main entrance. The ground level houses a library and museum documenting Chiang Kai-shek's life and career and exhibits related to Republic of China-era Chinese history, and Taiwan's history. The upper level contains the main hall, in which a large statue of Chiang Kai-shek is located.
After Chiang Kai-shek died on 5 April 1975, the Executive branch of the government established a Funeral Committee to build a memorial. The design, by architect Yang Cho-cheng, was chosen in a competition. Yang's design incorporated many elements of traditional Chinese architecture recalling the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, China. The hall officially opened on 5 April 1980, the fifth anniversary of the leader's death.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the series Long Horned Beetles (III), about which I wrote here.
References
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall - Wikipedia
Sender: / (postcrossing)
Sent from Taipei (Taiwan), on 06.04.2012
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