War and Peace Memorial Park Theme Pavilion Introduction
In Cijin, beyond the beautiful beach scenery, night market snacks, and historical landmarks, there is a serene and elegant War and Peace Memorial Park on Cijin Second Road. This park commemorates a lost and forgotten history. During World War II and the Chinese Civil War, 60,000 young Taiwanese left home to serve in the military, with over 30,000 soldiers dying overseas and 15,000 going missing. After the Kuomintang took control of Taiwan, more than 15,000 troops were sent to mainland China to engage in the Chinese Civil War and the Korean War, with casualties estimated to exceed 10,000; only a few hundred managed to return to Taiwan, while several hundred remained in mainland China, some even becoming captives who were later converted into the People's Liberation Army. To honor this significant historical fact, the War and Peace Memorial Park was finally completed and inaugurated on May 20, 2009, thanks to the efforts of the Association of Chinese Veterans from Taiwan and Mr. Xu Zhaorong, who devoted his life to this cause. The park features a memorial hall that displays important historical documents and artifacts, with each piece telling the story of that chaotic era when Taiwanese people, like drifting weeds, faced a tumultuous fate, unheard and unrecognized, forced to fight without knowing the purpose or for whom they were sacrificing their lives. A mural on the exterior wall of the theme hall depicts Taiwanese individuals in the uniforms of the Japanese army, the Nationalist army, and the People's Liberation Army, pointing to the sorrow and fate of the Taiwanese at that time. The park also includes monuments, the Echo Heart Square, and an observation deck, as Cijin was indeed the last glimpse of the harbor for Taiwanese soldiers serving in the Japanese army or the Nationalist army before they departed. While we can choose to forgive the tragic events of that era, we must not forget. The blood and tears of Taiwanese soldiers carry a heavy weight but serve as a profound reminder to the world of the horrors of war and the preciousness of peace.
