TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Culture (MOC, 文化部) announced on Friday (July 12) that it will adjust the military honor guards duties at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (CKS Memorial Hall, 中正紀念堂), effective next Monday. This decision, coordinated with the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部), aims to align with transitional justice efforts.
The military honor guards will no longer stand watch inside the CKS Memorial Hall. Instead, they will perform their duties on Democracy Boulevard. The MOC emphasized the need to return the guard to its original purpose of patrol and safety training, removing the previous duty from the statue hall.
The honor guard has conducted patrols and training displays since the memorial hall opened on April 5, 1980. To respect public memory and user habits, the guard's drills will now occur before Democracy Boulevard, coinciding with the flag-raising and lowering ceremonies at 6 a.m. and 6:10 p.m. during summer.
The adjusted patrol and training displays will occur hourly from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each session will involve a group led by the honor guard commander and two members patrolling the hall's perimeter and conducting training on Democracy Boulevard. These sessions will last approximately 15 minutes and be canceled in case of rain.
The MOC reiterated the importance of these changes in fulfilling the mission of transitional justice. The public is encouraged to witness the new honor guard displays, which aim to preserve collective memories while adapting to contemporary needs.
