Special report | The past
How Taiwan is shaped by its history and identity
Understanding Taiwan requires study of its history
In the centre of Taipei is a sprawling memorial to Chiang Kai-shek, leader of both the KMT and the Republic of China (ROC), which formally moved to Taiwan in 1949. A bronze statue of the general sits atop a white marble tower, gazing towards China and his lost capital of Nanjing. A newcomer to Taiwan might assume it is just a monument to a beloved founding father.
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This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline “A people divided”