From Michael Hurst MBE, Director, Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society
It is wonderful to see the increase in the number of visitors coming to Taiwan every year to take part in our POW remembrance programs and tours, and it is exciting to spend time with them ‘following in the footsteps’ of the former POWs. It is an honour and a privilege to be able to host our guests and guide them on tours to the various camps and areas of interest where the story of the Taiwan POWs unfolds.
However, we have also found over time that some folks have come to Taiwan and tried to find and visit the camps on their own. This of course concerns us, in that while it is certainly possible for anyone to easily come to Taiwan, finding and visiting the many camps on their own can be very difficult. They will also not get as much out of their trip, and certainly will not see all the places where their loved one was or learn about and understand what they experienced - something we try to make sure that all our tour visitors are able to do.
For example, one day one summer while conducting some folks on a tour of Kinkaseki, I met a couple who come to Taiwan from the UK to visit family here every couple of years. The man’s father had been a POW in Kinkaseki Camp and they told me that they visit Jinguashi every time they return to pay their respects, and how thrilled they were to see the Memorial Wall with his name on it and to know they could get an actual tour of the camp. I told them to contact me on their next trip and I would give them the complete tour and they were pleased to hear that, as they said they really didn’t know a lot about what they were looking at and wanted to learn more.
Another couple came and stayed at a very expensive hotel in Taipei and on arrival did not even know where Jinguashi - the site of the former Kinkaseki Camp, was or how to get there. Finally the hotel desk was able to arrange for a taxi to take them to the village. It is not known which route the driver took, and as he likely spoke little or no English, and with no knowledge of the POWs, he wouldn’t be able to tell them about the route the men took to the camp or point out anything along the way. Also, the taxi ride would not be cheap.
On arrival at Jinguashi they were unable to find the location of the former POW camp at first until a staff member at the museum kindly pointed the way, but that person knew nothing about the camp or the POWs’ story, so the couple had to just wander around on their own, most likely not really knowing what they were looking at, and certainly - with no-one to tell them, not knowing where things had been in the camp back in POW times.
They would have seen the old camp gatepost, the Memorial, the Wall, the POW Sculpture and the Flame of Remembrance of course, but without any guidance or commentary. They would not have seen the actual route the prisoners took to reach the camp, the school where they were first assembled, the bridge they crossed, the locations of the camp entrances, where the various buildings had been in the camp, where the prisoners left the camp every day to go to the mine, or the route they took to the mine. Sadly they had no-one to show or tell them where these places were, as well as share the stories of the POWs’ life in the camp. They would not have been shown the location of the former Kinkaseki Cemetery, nor the death tunnel that was meant to annihilate the POWs when the Allies landed; the exact location of which even few local people know today.
The old bridge which the POWs crossed before entering Kinkaseki Camp
They also wanted to see and learn more about the mine and what the POWs experienced, so they returned the next day - again by taxi. They visited the mining museum which houses the Society’s POW exhibit, and the nearby # 5 mine tunnel. They would not likely have gotten full value from the museum and mine tunnel exhibits without someone to explain the workings and how the POWs survived their ordeal from day to day.
They did not see the actual area of the mine where the POWs worked in the # 6 Tunnel and many other things in that area as well. They spent two days and two expensive taxi rides to first find the camp and then return again on the second day to explore it more. With our tour we do it all in one day, smoothly, conveniently and in proper order, leaving other days free for more camp visits, general sightseeing, or other cultural pursuits.
Many times when our guests visit the camps they want to leave poppy crosses or other tributes on the memorial and we help them with this. Sadly though, with a strange and nasty neighbour who lives near the park, any crosses or mementoes left on the memorial are picked up and thrown away soon after the visitors leave. On our tours, we lay the crosses, have a short memorial service to remember their loved one, then take the crosses back to keep, and when our future POW museum opens, all the crosses and mementoes left by our visitors over the years will go into a special memorial garden display. Sadly, crosses left on their own will not be among those placed there.
We have also had local people tell us that they visited the Kukutsu Camp - again sometimes by an expensive taxi ride, and that they saw the POW Memorial erected by the Society on the side of the road. They would really only have seen the general environs around where the camp was located, but they would not have been able to see inside the former camp area where the POW huts were as it is private property and permission - which is easily obtainable through the Society for our guests, is required. They would not have seen the actual trail the POWs took to reach the camp from Hsintien, or known about the 'halfway house' where the local family smuggled food to the prisoners in the town parties on their journey to the camp. They would not have seen the route the men followed every day to the old tea plantation up on the mountain where they slaved to plant sweet potatoes and peanuts, or even the area itself. For POW family members who visit, we can also sometimes introduce them to some of the older local folk who remember the POWs.
The 'real' trail through the bush into the Kukutsu Camp
I felt sad as I imagined the difficulties these folks encountered and of the few things that they actually managed to see and do at those places by trying to visit on their own. How I wish they had contacted me for help with their visits as I could have shown and told them so much more about the camps and what the POWs experienced here. It seems such a waste of time and money to fly all the way to Taiwan and then perhaps only see and learn a fraction of what they could have if they had had someone to guide them.
For visits to other POW camps outside the Taipei area, again, this is best done with the help of our Society, and is no problem for us to arrange and handle. For all the camps, having someone to help you “follow in your loved one’s footsteps” as our tours do, is really the best way to go. Most of the camps are not easy to find as they are located in out-of-the-way places, and some are located on current military bases where permission is needed for access. In most cases it is also not possible to visit these camps by public transportation. We arrange private transportation, meals, and hotels if required, and visitors not only get to see the camps where their loved ones were, but also a good part of the island as we travel to the various sites.
While in Taipei it is also nice to visit some of the local sightseeing spots, and this too can easily be done on your own with our excellent subway system and good public transportation. The attractions are easily found on the internet, but again without a guide or local person to show you around and explain things, you will miss so much. There is not much printed interpretive material available in English, and while there are local tour companies that can take you on half-day city sightseeing tours, they are expensive and you don’t get to spend much or enough time at any one place. Our Taipei City tours last a whole day, are cheaper and you get to see and do a lot more. We can take you to places the others do not because their tours are fixed while ours are more adaptable and flexible.
Also, it should be known that the Taihoku Camp 6 Memorial which is located inside the Ministry of National Defense Headquarters property is not accessible without special permission, and which for POW guests must be arranged with the MND through the Society. The local tour companies do not do tours there.
Contacting our Society can thus be a great source of help for visitors to Taiwan, with current information as to what is available to see, and also as we can arrange ‘reasonably priced’ hotels, camp tours and other sightseeing packages for our guests. We can also provide them with a specially researched and knowledgeable commentary which is custom-tailored to each visitor based on their needs and the POW they are honouring with their visit.
Yes, we do charge for the tours in most cases, but then I believe that people expect to pay when they go on specialized tours anywhere - for the service, and also for the expert knowledge that can be gained from qualified guides. Our POW camp tours are very specialized, and our prices are very reasonable, and any proceeds go to help fund the various projects that we are involved in. So I would recommend that wherever you want to visit POW sites in Taiwan - and in other parts of Asia as well, you should enlist the aid of those who can help and are most knowledgeable, experienced and qualified to show you the way. It is our desire to make sure that our POW family visitors get the most out of their trip and what they are coming to Taiwan for.
We have a POW Camp Tours page on our website (www.powtaiwan.org) which we invite folks to look at and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. Please contact us as soon as possible when planning your trip so that we can make an itinerary to fit your needs. We look forward to assisting you with your visit.
One final thing to mention is that in November every year the Society hosts our annual Remembrance Week Event and we encourage people to join us for that. We have visits to many of the camps and memorial services at each. There is also some local sightseeing and a great time of fellowship for the family members and guests as they share their experiences together. We always encourage visitors to come at this time if at all possible as we do more and it is cheaper for everyone. We hope you will make plans to join us here in Taiwan in the future.