Taiwan’s Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall is one of the most popular tourist sites in Taipei. Opened in 1980 to commemorate the passing of former president Chiang Kai-shek, many tourists flock here to explore the grounds and watch the daily ‘Changing of the Guard” ceremony.
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Formerly taking place in the Memorial Hall itself beneath the large statue of the former president, the daily Chiang Kai Shek Changing of the Guard ceremony was recently moved outside away from the statue in 2024 to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism”.
Easily one of the most popular tourist attractions in Taipei, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is free to visit with a museum on the lower levels.
We were lucky enough to see the ‘new’ outdoor Chiang Kai-shek Changing of the Guards ceremony in early 2025 – here is our guide with times and photos.
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History of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai Shek was the former president and the Republic of China’s longest-serving head of state. He died in 1975 and nearly four years later on 5 April 1980, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and grounds were opened, with a large statue inside.
The building is a national Taiwan monument and the park houses several other notable buildings including the National Concert Hall and the Experimental Theater of National Theater & Concert Hall.
Here you can also see the famous Liberty Square Arch built in the 1970s and one of Taipei’s most photographed spots – its five symbolic arches also light up at night. Check out our Taipei at night guide >
The grounds are extensive and also one of the best places to spot Taipei cherry blossoms and plum blossoms in the spring months.
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Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall admission and opening hours
Chiang Kai Shek in Taipei is open daily from 9am to 6pm except Lunar New Year, 228 Peace Memorial Day and maintenance days.
Whilst the doors to the main memorial close at night, you can still visit the grounds at night.
Admission to Chiang Kai Shek is free – no tickets are required.
The closest MRT station is Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall station on the green Songshan-Xindian line and the red Tamsui – Xinyi Line.
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Changing of the Guards / Military Honor Guards Patrol
Every day from 9am to 5pm, the famous Changing of the Guards ceremony at Chiang Kai Shek takes place outside the main memorial hall, on Democracy Boulevard.
Prior to July 2024, this famous Taiwan ceremony had always taken place below the big statue of Chiang Kai Shek in the Memorial Hall itself – but this has since been moved outside whilst debate still rages about whether the huge statue should remain.
It is controversial, especially amongst young Taiwanese residents as it is seen as a reminder of the previous Chinese regime which many feel should not still be honored.
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The Ceremony
Now in 2025, you can see a six-member honor guard performing ceremonial duties on Democracy Boulevard nine times a day.
The honor guards approach from the outer perimeters of the hall (often there will be lots of tourists following them in tow filming them on mobile phones) and meet outside at the bottom of the main steps.
The shortened ceremony lasts around 5 minutes and assembled tourists must stay behind the red barrier tape.
The military guard brandish their guns, change positions and then march back to behind the hall – so unlike the old ceremony, the guards no longer remain afterwards.
It is mainly done for the benefit of tourists these days, as there is a continued desire to move away from ‘celebrating’ the former president and what his party stood for.
At the time of writing, the Taiwanese people are still very divided over whether to remove statues of Chiang Kai-shek – this tweak to the changing of the guard ceremony is a step towards this.
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Chiang Kai Shek Changing of the Guard 2025 times
The Changing of the Guard / Military Honor Handover takes place at the following times every day (except Lunar New Year, 228 Memorial Peace Day and on other special events):
- 9am
- 10am
- 11am
- 12pm
- 1pm
- 2pm
- 3pm
- 4pm
- 5pm
So the first Changing of the Guards display at Chiang Kai Shek each day is at 9am and the last handover is at 5pm.
Please note the changing of the guard ceremony is cancelled on bad weather / heavy rain days.
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Flag Raising Sessions
There are also flag-raising and lowering ceremonies at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall but we have yet to witness this ourselves.
In the summer (1 April to 30 September), the flag is raised every morning at 6:00 am and lowered at 6:10 pm in the evening.
For the remainder of the year / winter months, the flag is hoisted up at 6:30 am every morning and lowered at 5:10 pm every evening.
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