Hu Shih Memorial Hall Introduction
Hu Shih was a pioneer of liberalism, influenced by Huxley and Dewey in his thinking. He claimed that Huxley taught him how to doubt, while Mr. Dewey taught him how to think. Throughout his life, he advocated the scholarly method of "bold hypotheses, careful verification" and "claims must be substantiated." He served as the ambassador to the United States, president of Peking University, and president of the Academia Sinica. The Hu Shih Memorial Museum was originally his residence in Nangang during his later years when he returned to Taiwan to become the president of the Academia Sinica (1958-1962). After Mr. Hu Shih passed away on February 24, 1962, the Academia Sinica's administrative meeting approved the use of his former residence entirely as the Hu Shih Memorial Museum, and the "Hu Shih Memorial Museum Management Committee" was promptly organized. The memorial museum was officially established on December 10 of the same year and was transferred to the Institute of Modern History in January 1998. The Hu Shih Memorial Museum consists of three parts: the first is his Nangang residence (1958-1962), where he served as the president of the Academia Sinica upon his return to Taiwan, known as the Hu Shih Former Residence in Taipei. The architecture, corridors, furnishings, and layout of the residence largely retain the original appearance of his living environment during his lifetime. The second part is the exhibition hall, built with a donation from C. V. Starr, an American insurance company, in 1964. It showcases Mr. Hu Shih's works, manuscripts, photographs, relics and memorials, as well as a documentary about Hu Shih in Taiwan. The third part is the Hu Shih Cemetery, which was expanded into "Hu Shih Park" in 1974. The park features a winding path leading up the hills, shaded by trees, offering a tranquil mountain scenery. Since its opening, many visitors from both domestic and abroad have come to pay their respects at the cemetery while enjoying the beautiful surrounding scenery.
