Our Fourth Day DIY Taipei Tour: Dihua Street, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Changing of the Guard
There was just one small problem.
We got there at around 8 AM.
Apparently, we were a little too enthusiastic.
Most of the shops were still closed, so our grand plan to explore the street was temporarily reduced to walking around and admiring it from the outside. But that turned out to be perfectly fine because Dihua Street itself is worth seeing even before the shops come alive.
Much like our own famous Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Dihua Street combines heritage architecture with a lively modern atmosphere. Located in the historic Dadaocheng neighborhood, it developed into one of Taipei's important commercial districts during the 19th century and is known for its preserved red brick and traditional shophouses, historic dry goods and Chinese medicine businesses, specialty stores, and increasingly, independent cafes, boutiques, and creative spaces.
Walking along the street, you can see how old and new Taipei coexist rather naturally. Traditional businesses occupy historic buildings while newer cafes, boutiques, and creative spaces have found their place alongside them.
With most stores still sleeping, we decided there was little point waiting around for them to wake up. So we moved on to the next stop on our DIY itinerary: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
And this time, we timed it much better.
From Dihua Street, we returned to Beimen Station and continued our MRT journey toward Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The MRT made the transfer surprisingly easy, reinforcing our growing confidence that navigating Taipei independently was not nearly as intimidating as we had imagined.
We arrived at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall a little past 10 AM, with one simple mission in mind: catch the 11 AM Changing of the Guard.
Well, that was the plan anyway.
More Than a Memorial Hall
If you have seen photographs of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, you already know that it is a hard landmark to miss. Seeing it in person, however, gives you a much better appreciation of its sheer scale.
The complex covers approximately 25 hectares and includes much more than the famous white and blue memorial building. There is the expansive Liberty Square, the National Theater and National Concert Hall, gardens, covered walkways, pavilions, and other architectural features spread across the grounds.
The memorial hall itself stands prominently at the northern end of Liberty Square. Its white walls, blue octagonal roof, and imposing staircase make it one of Taipei's most recognizable landmarks.
The building was designed by architect Yang Cho-cheng, with construction beginning in 1976 following Chiang Kai-shek's death in 1975. It was completed and opened to the public in 1980. Its design draws heavily from traditional Chinese architectural forms, while its monumental scale gives the structure a distinctly modern civic character.
The blue and white color scheme is also intentional. These colors have long carried symbolic associations with the Republic of China, adding another layer of meaning to the building's design.
Standing there, you really appreciate how deliberately everything was laid out. The huge open plaza creates a dramatic approach toward the memorial hall, while the National Theater and National Concert Hall stand symmetrically on either side.
It is architecture designed to make an impression.
And it certainly does.
Liberty Square and a Changing History
The enormous open space in front of the memorial hall is now known as Liberty Square. But even its name reflects Taiwan's changing political history.
The complex was originally created as a memorial to Chiang Kai-shek, who led the Republic of China government in Taiwan from 1949 until his death in 1975. The memorial was established during a period when Taiwan was under authoritarian rule.
As Taiwan underwent political liberalization and democratization, the meaning and symbolism of the site became subjects of public discussion and debate. In 2007, the complex was temporarily renamed National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, while the inscription on its main gate was changed to "Liberty Square." The original name, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, was restored in 2009.
Today, the name Liberty Square remains.
That history makes the site particularly interesting because it is not simply a monumental tourist attraction. It has also become an important public space for civic gatherings, demonstrations, cultural events, performances, exhibitions, and everyday recreation.
So while tourists come for the architecture and the Changing of the Guard, the complex carries layers of Taiwan's modern history that are worth knowing before you visit.
The National Theater and National Concert Hall
The two grand buildings flanking Liberty Square deserve attention of their own.
The National Theater stands on the south side of the square, while the National Concert Hall occupies the opposite side. Together with the memorial hall, they create an enormous and highly symmetrical architectural composition.
This is actually where our visit began to turn into a photography session.
Naturally, we stopped for lots of photos.
From there, we made our way through the beautifully tiled, covered corridors leading toward the memorial hall. What should have been a simple walk became another unexpected detour when we discovered the art exhibitions and installations along the way.
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| "On July 10, 1949, Philippine President Elpidio Quirino hosted Republic of China Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek at the Mansion House in Baguio for a two-day high-level diplomatic conference. Following their discussions, Quirino and Chiang issued a joint statement on July 11, 1949, focused on regional solidarity." |
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| One of Chiang's official state cars, donated by overseas Chinese in the Philippines. The 1955 G.M.-manufactured Cadillac is a four-door, seven-seat limousine that measures 610cm in length, 200cm in width, 163cm in height, and weighs three tons. It is also fitted with bulletproof glass and other security measures. |
And that was it.
Our carefully planned 11 AM Changing of the Guard suddenly became less important than looking at one more exhibit, then another, and taking our time to explore. Since covering Taiwan's art and cultural scene was already part of our trip, getting distracted by art was hardly a problem. In fact, it was exactly the kind of distraction we were happy to have.
I will be writing about the exhibitions separately because they deserve their own story. Meanwhile, here are some more photos of paintings, sculptures, and installations.
Finally, the Changing of the Guard
By noon, we were finally where we had originally intended to be.Fortunately, missing the 11 AM ceremony was not a disaster. The Changing of the Guard is conducted every hour during the scheduled daytime period, so we simply decided to stay and catch the noon ceremony instead.
Good call.
By then, the weather had cooperated beautifully. The sun was shining, but it was not unbearably hot, making the wait and the walk around the enormous complex much more pleasant.
The Changing of the Guard is one of the most popular attractions at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and watching it in person makes it easy to understand why.
The ceremony involves honor guards representing Taiwan's armed services. Their movements are highly synchronized, combining formal marching, precise turns, salutes, and carefully choreographed rifle drills.
There is something almost theatrical about the precision of it all, although the ceremony itself is firmly rooted in military tradition and discipline.
The guards move with remarkable coordination. Every step, turn, and rifle movement appears carefully rehearsed, and the imposing memorial hall provides a fitting backdrop to the entire performance.
Naturally, everyone around us was busy taking photos and videos.
Naturally, we were doing exactly the same thing.
It was one of those moments when you understand why an attraction can be considered touristy and still be genuinely worth experiencing.
After the ceremony, we wandered around the complex a little more before eventually heading back toward the MRT.
Except we soon realized that we had exited from the rear of the complex.
Which meant our supposedly simple walk back to the station was suddenly going to take considerably longer.
And I mean considerably longer.
The traditional Chinese style covered walkways surrounding Liberty Square are extensive. The path is paved in a striking, geometric black-and-white stone pattern that run along the perimeter of the complex and visually connect its major architectural components, including the National Theater, National Concert Hall, and the main memorial hall.
What looked on the map like a straightforward return route turned into another long walk through gardens, corridors, and beautifully landscaped areas.
Thankfully, we had no reason to complain.
The weather was cool and cloudy by then, without the rain that had occasionally interrupted our sightseeing during the trip. The gardens were pleasant, the architecture remained photogenic from practically every angle, and we were enjoying ourselves anyway.
Besides, we had already committed to the walk.
By the time we finally made it back toward the MRT station, we had easily hit the 10,000 step mark.
And this was only our second stop for the day.
Talk about getting our daily steps in before the itinerary had even properly started!
We started our fourth day with Dihua Street, arrived too early, found most of the shops still closed, and moved on. Then we headed to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall intending to watch an 11 AM ceremony, only to get distracted by art and end up staying for noon instead.
Along the way, we photographed the National Theater and National Concert Hall, wandered through covered corridors, explored exhibitions, admired the gardens and architecture, learned more about the history of the complex, watched the Changing of the Guard, and accidentally walked much farther than planned.
It also gave us confidence that we could comfortably explore Taipei on our own.
By our fourth day, the MRT had become almost second nature. Stations were easy to find, routes were straightforward, trains were frequent, and getting from one attraction to another was remarkably convenient. With Google Maps as our trusty digital guide, DIY touring suddenly felt less intimidating and much more enjoyable.
And that was perhaps one of the nicest surprises of our Taiwan trip. The city made independent exploring feel remarkably easy.
Our itinerary may have been planned, but our day clearly had other ideas.
Sometimes the best travel experiences happen when you stop following the itinerary too strictly.
We missed the 11 AM Changing of the Guard, but we experienced Taiwan's finest art exhibits and installations, then still got to see the drill display later at its 12 noon schedule.
We arrived at Dihua Street too early, but got to see its historic character before the crowds and shops fully came alive.
We took what we thought would be the easy route back to the MRT, only to discover we had exited from the other side and had a much longer walk ahead to enjoy the garden view and the cool weather.
And we reached 10,000 steps before our day had barely gotten started.
I would call that a pretty successful DIY tour.
Next on the list: the Gondola! 🚠😁
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