TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Honor Guard will no longer be placed in front of the statue of the former dictator at Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) Memorial Hall on Monday (July 15). 

The Ministry of Culture (MOC) announced Friday (July 12) that it has decided to adjust how the Honor Guard performs its duties at the hall. The Honor Guard will be relocated to Democracy Boulevard in front of the memorial hall.

Honor Guard troops have stood watch and conducted drills in front of the statue since the opening of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on April 5, 1980.

The MOC said the current goals for transitional justice are to "eliminate personal worship" and "eliminate authoritarian worship." The Honor Guard will return to their original mission of patrolling, training, and ensuring site security.

The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Management Office has been organizing activities such as the permanent exhibition "Taiwan's Long Walk to Freedom of Speech" and the architectural design exhibition "Imagining Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in 100 Ways," promoting social communication in transitional justice. The MOC said the mission of transitional justice at the hall will continue.

Honor Guard drills will now be integrated with the flag-raising and lowering ceremonies originally scheduled at 6 a.m. and 6:10 p.m. during the summertime. Honor Guard patrols and training demonstrations will occur daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Every hour, the guard commander and two honor guards will patrol along the outer walkway of the main hall on the first floor. They will then proceed to Democracy Boulevard to conduct training demonstrations, returning to the standby room afterward. 

The routine takes approximately 15 minutes per session and will not be held in rainy weather.