The Shilin Official Residence

Taiwan was once an authoritarian country with 38 years of martial law; it was a period of time characterized by chaos. The Shilin Official Residence used to be a symbol of strong central power and limited political freedoms as Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Madame Chiang were the former residents. However, with passing of time came the regime change. The Shilin Official Residence is now open to public and has become a lovely place for a leisurely stroll.

Within the Shilin Official Residence, there are plenty of varieties of flowers in vibrant colors. As the seasons change, flower exhibitions here change along with them, including the rose exhibition in spring and the chrysanthemum exhibition in autumn. This is a place to delight lovers of flowers. The garden can divided into the Chinese garden, the Western garden, and the diverse and thriving rose garden, very much hearted by the former Chinese First Lady Madame Chiang (Soong Mei-ling).

Churchgoers may visit the Victory Chapel (凱歌堂) on Sundays, where the ground floor was the living space for General & Mme. Chiang back in the old days. The general public had to wait until 2011 for a glimpse of the interior of the house as well as their mysterious way of living during the authoritarian period.

Standing still for more than sixty years, the Shilin Official Residence had witnessed historical events from the outbreak of wars to the Taiwanese transition to democracy. It was once lofty and unapproachable, while today, it is where the locals chill out and have fun.