Taipei Travel

The 228 museum reveals a dark side of Taiwan's history that was repressed for over 30 years by Taiwan's leaders and hid by its victims due to fear of repraisal. The museum chronicals the lead up and aftermath of the Feb 28, 1947 incident in which hundreds of innocent citizens were killed, jailed or went missing because they opposed the corrupt politicians who were controlled by main land China. Deaths and jailings continued after the incident. The ironic lesson of this story is the reverred Chaing Kai Shek was complacent in the aftermath of the incident. If you are interested in history this is a great stop - go with a guide who can describe the details of the history and displays to you.

The 2-28 Rebellion is the most signifcant event in Taiwan's modern history. On 28 Feb 1947, the Taiwanese rose up against the mainland government. No one knows how many people werer killed, but it was in the thousands. It poisoned relations between the native Taiwanese and the government, who were mainlanders, for many years. This museum explains the modern history of Taiwan, from Japanese colonisaton to today. There is not a lot of English used, but most of the museum is self-explanatory. By the way, there is a small entry fee. The docents are friendly.

We were just taking a leisure walk from our hotel to the 228-Park when we passed this solemn place. As a museum remembering the bitter tragedy of the past, it is well-maintained and provides information about the history of Taiwan. Quite an interesting place to visit if you are strolling along the 228-Park

Well maintained museum dedicated to the victims of what is called the 228 Incident. When I first entered the museum, I was approached by a nice lady that came from behind the reception desk to greet me. Come to find out she is currently studying Japanese so we started conversing in that. I guess one of my bad habits whenever I meet another Japanese second language speaker is that I assess their language abilities against mine which really is a judgemental and stupid thing to do. Something was different about her for some reason; I just really enjoyed our chat without thinking about all the language nonsense. Anyway, I started out watching a movie about the 228 Incident. I had heard about it before, but I didn't quite get the scope and horror that gripped the country before, during, and after it - quite severe to say the least. Then I walked around the museum and looked at the displays. Only a few had English descriptions, but I was offered an audio guide which I declined. I always fumble around with those things, and they never work out for me that well. Anyway, I went back to reception where that lady was, but she was busy with some other visitors. I wanted to wait to say goodbye but just left instead. I'm such a coward.

This museum is dedicated to Taiwan in the painful first half of the last century. A failed rebellion against the oppressors from the Mainland, the original inhabitants of Taiwan versus the KMT who fled from the Communists in China. Japanese occupation, American influence and final liberation from imperialist powers show the turbulent past of Taiwan. The museum is admission free and located near the Botanical Garden.