Last year - the 60^th Anniversary of the end of World War II, the Taipei County Government renovated and re-constructed the former park around the Kinkaseki / Taiwan Prisoner of War Memorial in conjunction with the continued development of the Gold Ecological Park, to further enhance tourism and promote the history of the area. It was decided to make the park a place of remembrance and tribute to all the men who suffered so much in the Kinkaseki Camp - and all the other POW camps on the island in World War II. The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society was pleased to have had a part in the re-design and reconstruction of the beautiful POW memorial park.
    During the construction of the park, a cone-shaped dome was erected in the central plaza area, and in discussions with the designer, the idea developed that it would be good to have some kind of "image of tribute" to the Taiwan POWs placed on the dome.  
    Society Director Michael Hurst visited Corregidor Island this past January, and seeing a sculpture of a memorial flame at the "War Memorial of the Pacific" there, decided that this is what could be done at Chinguashi as well.
   Since it was impossible to have a real natural gas "eternal" flame, it was decided to go with the idea of a 'flame sculpture' to represent an "Eternal Flame of Peace and Remembrance" - in honour of all the former POWs.
    On learning of the idea Mr. Yang thought it would be a wonderful way to "finish off” the center dome. A well-known Taiwanese sculptor, Mr. Lai Chi-man, was contacted and he agreed to do the work. Meetings were held with the Taipei County Government and the final approval for the project was received in September of this year.
    Over the next two months work on the flame sculpture progressed. First a clay model was made from preliminary drawings to finalize the design and then a ceramic actual-size sculpture was made. From this the flame was cast in bronze - which is comprised mostly of copper, and as such is very significant as the POWs at the Kinkaseki POW Camp slaved and suffered in the nearby copper mine for more than two years.
    On November 14 the flame - which measures 60 cm / 2 feet high, and the black polished granite inscription stone that accompanies it, were mounted on the dome in the park, and on Sunday November 19^th the dedication ceremony took place prior to the annual Remembrance Day service.
    Following the welcome and introduction of the sculpture by Society Director Michael Hurst, Maj/Gen. (Ret.) Chi Chin-chang, Deputy Secretary-General of the R.O.C. Veterans Affairs Commission spoke on behalf of the gov’t., and Richard Holt, Director of the Admin Section of the Australian Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei brought a message on behalf of the Commonwealth and allied governments.

The sculptor of the flame, Mr. Lai Chi-man spoke prior to the unveiling of the flame which was followed by a prayer of dedication by Rev. Edmund Ryden.

Rev. Ryden leads in a prayer of dedication following the unveiling of the “eternal flame” sculpture.

 The inscription stone for the memorial flame.

 (More photos on page 6…)