A villa of the late President Chiang Kai-shek in the northern suburb of Taipei was burnt down in suspected arson early yesterday morning as President Chen Shui-bian is launching a new campaign to remove Chiang's legacy.
The fire at the Cao Shan Chateau (Grass Mountain Chateau) on scenic Yangmingshan started in the early hours. Firemen put out the fire, but the structure and exhibits inside the villa, which was turned into a museum, were destroyed.
The municipal fire department's Yangmingshan outpost sent fire engines to the scene immediately after receiving an emergency call from security guards at the chateau at around 12:20 a.m., Taipei City government officials said.
Initial investigations showed that the chateau's main exhibition hall spanning about 660 square meters had been completely engulfed in flames.
Due to the size of the fire, more fire trucks from neighboring Shihlin, Shihpai and Huagang outposts were sent to help. The fire was brought under control at around 1:30 a.m.
According to the officials, their firefighting efforts were impeded by several factors, including a water shortage, heavy night fog, and the area's rugged terrain on the mountain.
The city government has listed the 87-year-old chateau as a protected heritage site.
The chateau was built in 1920 by Taiwan Sugar Corp. in preparation for a visit by then-Japanese Crown Prince Hirohito. Historical records show that Hirohito stayed at the house only briefly.
It later served as a spa villa for celebrities during the period of Japanese colonial rule.
In December 1949, the Republic of China government moved its seat to Taipei from Nanjing in mainland China, and President Chiang Kai-shek chose to stay at the chateau, making it Taiwan's first presidential residence while he continued his fight against possible invasion into Taiwan by Chinese Communists.
The president and his wife lived at the house until May 1950 before a new house was built in Taipei's Shihlin district. The chateau later served as the first couple's summer villa.
The Taipei City Government decided on Dec. 19, 2002 to list the house as a building of historical significance and officially named it the "Grass Mountain Chateau."
The building has since served as a cultural activity center that encompasses an exhibition hall, a conference room, a performance stage, a restaurant and reception area, and a management center. The midnight fire mainly damaged the exhibition hall, the restaurant and reception area, known as Meilu Hall and Yingho Hall, respectively.
Municipal police authorities have begun investigating the cause of the fire. But some officials said they found the mysterious fire highly suspicious because fires seemed to be started at several places simultaneously.
Lee Yung-ping, head of Taipei City's Department of Cultural Affairs, said the chateau will be rebuilt soon after a thorough investigation is completed.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin lamented the destruction of the historic building. He refrained from specifying a possible cause but has not ruled out any possibilities.
Hau stressed that all historic figures and constructions should be freed from any political entanglements because people may make comments or criticisms but should never destroy them.
He has instructed the police department to enhance security measures guarding the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall honoring the nation's founding father and public monuments related to Chiang, including the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall at the CKS Memorial Park.
Legislator John H.Y. Chiang, a grandson of Chiang Kai-shek and son of President Chiang Ching-kuo, blamed the fire at the Cao Shan Chateau on anti-Chiang elements and urged police to catch the arsonist.
"As the anti-Chiang movement is in full swing, one would suspect there is political motive in this fire," he told reporters.
People in Taiwan have mixed feelings about Chiang Kai-shek. Most are grateful to him for preventing Communist China from seizing Taiwan and building the island into a modern democracy with an advanced economy, while others resented his iron-fist rule with martial law in the face of constant threats from rival China.
Since Chen Shui-bian of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in 2000, he has been promoting Taiwan's nativism and discouraging links with China.
As part of the campaign, Chen has been pushing a name-change campaign to remove words like "China," "Chinese" and "Chiang Kai-shek" from street names, company names and public buildings.
Chen has already changed the name of the CKS International Airport to Taoyuan International Airport and renamed the CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei as the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall.
But the plan of dismantling the artistic walls surrounding the CKS Memorial Park has run into resistance from people who want to maintain the walls of the landmark structure.
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