Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

During his speech of the February 28 (228) Incident memorial service at the 228 Peace Memorial Park, Mayor Hau Lung-bin stressed the importance of remembering the victims and implementing the values of peace, human rights, and democracy. This year marks the 63rd anniversary of the 228 Incident. For many people, it is something that is hard to forget. According to the mayor, people gather on this day to remember the incident and help families of victims overcome painful memories. In addition, this important event marks the determination of Taiwanese to pursue freedom and human rights. Speaking at the ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou remarked that for the past two decades, the government has conducted numerous projects to piece together the whole of the incident. Over the years, officials – including former president Lee Teng-hui and former premier Hau Pei-tsun – apologized to the surviving family members of victims on behalf of the government, in an effort to mend wounds. In addition, 228 is also a national holiday in Taiwan. The President stressed that despite reparations given to surviving families, he understands that they seek justice for their loved ones. He added that the most important principle is to come face-to-face with the facts of history, and to “put oneself in his/her shoes” when dealing with the surviving family of victims To mark the 63rd anniversary, the city government is collaborating with Chen Cheng-po Cultural Foundation and Pu Tien-seng Memorial Museum to organize a special exhibition on the two individuals at the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum. Chen, a victim of the 228 Incident, was a renowned Taiwanese artists whose work appeared in the Imperial Art Exhibition (Teiten) of 1926.