Taipei Trip Part 9: Changing Ceremony of Guard at National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine

[Introduction]

I traveled to Taiwan for four days and three nights. This time, I visited Taipei and its surrounding areas. In this article, I will write about National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine as part of Day 3.

[Visit Places (series of articles)]
* Day 1: Flying to Taipei & Xiao Long Bao at Din Tai Fung
* Day 1: Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, National Taiwan Museum and National Museum of History
* Day 1: Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (Light-up)
* Day 2: Pingxi Line (Jingtong)
* Day 2: Pingxi Line (Shifen)
* Day 2: Pingxi Line (Houtong)
* Day 2: Jiufen
* Day 3: National Palace Museum
* Day 3: National Martyrs’ Shrine [This article]
* Day 3: Xinyi District
* Day 3: Taipei 101
* Day 4: 228 Peace Memorial Park, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Longshan Temple and Ximending
* Day 4: Huashan 1914 Creative Park & Return to Home

[Travel Date]
2017.04.27-30

[Main Part]

Following the previous post, I moved from National Palace Museum to National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine. Both National Palace Museum and National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine are representative tourist spots in Taipei and they are located adjacent to each other, so tourists often visit them successively.

What is National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine?

National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine was built to honor the fallen Kuomintang soldiers after the Chinese Civil War, and is home to around 390,000 spirit tablets honoring the lives and sacrifices of the soldiers during the war against the communists in mainland China. Changing ceremonies of the honor guard take place every one hour and it becomes popular among tourists.

Changing Ceremonies of the Honor Guard

When I arrived at National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine, the changing ceremony of the honor guard has already started.

Although I missed it, the changing ceremony started from the front gate and proceeded to the central ground.

Five guards marched altogether.

Air, sea and ground forces in Taiwan serves as honor guards in turn every four months and when I visited National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine, air forces was in charge of honor guards.

After passing a temple gate, guards reached the main shrine.

At the main shrine, two guards were changed.

Changing ceremony.

After the changing ceremony at the main shrine, guards went back the way they came.

Temple gate.

Central ground.

Here are some snap photos of guards.

Now guards reached the front gate.

At the front gate, two guards were changed.

Two of new guards started to work.

It was allowed to take photos of guards and they didn’t move at all when they had their pictures taken.

Snap photos of National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine

Now the changing ceremony of the honor guard was finished, I will take snap photos of National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine. To begin with, the front gate.

Central ground.

Temple gate.

Main shrine.

Around the temple gate.

In the back of the main shrine.

The honor guards who kept watch on the main shrine.

Finally, I took last photos of the temple gate and

the front gate.

Then, I left National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine.

[Closing]

That’s it for the article about National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine as part of Day 3.

Changing ceremonies of the honor guard are held at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall as well as National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine. However, National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine is the only place where the changing ceremony takes place outside, so I would recommend National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine 🙂

In the next article, I will write about Xinyi District as part of Day 3.

[Map]