Delegation to Taiwan 2 !

by Kazu

The delegation from Hokkaido Sorachi Japan-Taiwan Friendship Association to Taiwan visited

国民革命忠烈祠

National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine

-from Wikipedia-
 The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine a shrine in Zhongshan District of Taipei, Taiwan, dedicated to the war dead of the Republic of China.
Built on Chingshan Mountain and overseeing the Keelung River in Taipei's Zhongshan District  in 1969, the Martyrs Shrine recalls the architecture of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City.The structure houses the spirit tablets of about 390,000 persons killed, among

other engagements, during the Xinhai Revolution, Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, and the First and SecondTaiwan Strait Crises.

Besides, Yasunori YAMANE, Director-General for Sorachi Sub-prefectural area of Hokkaido is on the left.

 A changing of the honor guard from the various branches of the Republic of China Military take place at the shrine almost once an hour.

-My article-
The tourists were waiting for the  changing of the honor guard at  the gate of The National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine.

 In front of the gate, the plants of curious design were there in the circle of rotary.

This is the right wing of the gate.

 The left wing of the gate this is.

The oriental design is almost common in east Asia but little differences can be seen in each design.

 All the tourist were invited to the inside of the gate before nine o'clock in the morning.

The honor guards took steps very slowly and solemnly.

 The guards showed almost no blink during their duty in front of the tourists.

The pose and behavior of the guards were completely synchronized with each other but I think it's a little bit decorative compared to that of occidental countries.

 It was so comfortable weather but I could easily imagine the toughness of their duty in so hot and humid condition in summer in Taiwan.

The honor guards went into the building of shrine and the tourists followed.

 It seemed that the season of cherry blossoms had gone in Taipei but other kinds of beautiful flowers could be seen on the premises of the shrine.

The lawn and the plants were well-treated.

 Everybody followed the honor guards and enter the second gate.

The honor guards went into the main building of the shrine.

 Almost nobody was left on the way the honor guards took steps.

The tourists were waiting for the new guards on duty.

It was like a dance but the action of the guards looked so tough for me.

The souls of the Taiwanese soldiers and citizens were  worshiped in the shrine.

 The souls of the soldiers and citizens who died in the war for the nation should be treated like this. Is it not be allowed in Japan ?

The new honor guards came out of the main building of the shrine.

 The relief that expressed the wars fought by the Taiwanese people was on the side wall of the second gate.

The opposite side of the gate is like this.

 A pretty arbor was on the lawn of the premises.

 My supervisor Mr. Yamane seemed to be so satisfied with the visit and be planning his next visit to Taiwan.

 Thanks to the cooperation that many people in Hokkaido provided us, we made the courtesy friendship visit real in this fiscal year.

Kudos to the supporters of our scheme for the quantum leap !