Beigan’s War and Peace Memorial Park Exhibition Center Grand Reopening: Wartime Administrative affairs and Civilian Life Revisited

News

Date :2024-03-15

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The War and Peace Memorial Park Exhibition Center, located in Beigan Township, Lienchiang County, was planned and built by the Matsu National Scenic Area Headquarters and has been open since 2010. It continues to provide visitors with national defense education, tourism and recreation. To enrich the exhibition content of the Center, an improvement plan was initiated. This time, with the theme "Rest on/Spear/Wait for/Dawn," the exhibition showcases the administrative affairs and civilian life in the wartime, recreating the historical scene of Matsu transformed from a fishing village into a war zone overnight. Through the presentation of historical artifacts, the wartime administrative affairs are unveiled.

The Headquarters held an opening ceremony at 10:00 am on February 28, 2024, inviting local gentry and Matsu-based agencies to join the grand occasion. Enthusiastic participants included Chen Guan-ren, Deputy Magistrate of Lienchiang County , Gong Chung-yu, Director of Political Warfare of Matsu Defense Command , Wu Jin-ping, Beigan Township Mayor, members of the Lienchiang County Council, including Zhou Rui-guo and Chen Yu-fa, Lin Jia-you, Chairman of the Beigan Township Council and all representatives, Zhuang Shun-fu, Chairman of Matsu Geopark Association, representatives from the local tourism industry association, the Vice Leader of the Matsu Tourism Union Industry Alliance, and nearly a hundred local residents, business owners, and tourists.

Fang Cheng-kuang, Chief Secretary of the Tourism Administration, Ministry of Transportation, attended the opening ceremony and stated that the Center was originally inaugurated on March 29th, and its reopening on February 28th symbolizes a step towards peace, hoping visitors will come to experience the atmosphere of civilian life at the time. The Tourism Administration was upgraded on September 15th last year, and this year marks the Administration's first complete year, symbolizing an important new milestone in the development of tourism in Taiwan. At the same time, the Matsu Biennial has been held twice, and become increasingly known internationally. Recently, the Headquarters also facilitated the launch of the Matsu high-speed rail holiday package, with both local and central governments working together to enhance the quality and capacity of tourism in Matsu.

Chen Guan-ren, Deputy Magistrate of Lienchiang County, stated that Matsu has gone through the historical years of wartime administration, and he believes that those who grew up during the 1960s and 1970s could particularly relate to the atmosphere of avoiding bombings on odd numbered days and hiding in air-raid shelters. At this stage, the reopening of the Center is even more meaningful! The Lienchiang County Government and the Headquarters will continue to work together for the development of tourism in Matsu, hoping that in addition to visiting various attractions, visitors will also taste more local delicacies of Matsu.

Huang Shih-fang, Director of the Matsu National Scenic Area Headquarters expressed gratitude for the support from all sectors and the local community, which allowed the Headquarters to spend an entire year reorganizing and updating the Center smoothly. This renewal, through both software and hardware improvements, tells various stories in a refreshing way. The Headquarters is looking forward to the visit of new and old friends. Having established for 25 years, the Headquarters will continue to work on tourism infrastructure in Matsu, and cooperate with the Lienchiang County Government to promote tourism development, aiming for a thriving tourism future for Matsu.

The opening ceremony also invited media including Liberty Times, Commons Daily, Taiwan NEWS, and Travel Rich, as well as travel industry operators such as EverFun Holiday, Lion Travel, and Cola Tour, along with a group of 20 people from the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation. By combining site visits to various attractions in Matsu and packaging the revitalization achievements of military sites into innovative travel programs, and by expanding publicity through the media, the ceremony aims to gather momentum at the end of the off-season, preparing for the arrival of the peak travel season.