Held in Memory of the People Who Built the Central Cross-Island Highway －

To commemorate the late veterans who relocated from the mainland to Taiwan, the Hualien County Veterans Service Department, Veteran Affairs Commission held a commemoration ceremony at Changchun Shrine on August 27th., 2007 Director Lee You-Min of the Veterans Service Department hosted the ceremony, and Deputy Director Yu Teng-lang of the Taroko National Park Headquarters led 10 personnel from each section, office and service station to attend. The ceremony was solemn and formal.

Deputy Director Teng-lang Yu pointed out that the commitment of tens of thousands of veterans to the construction of Central Cross-Island Highway is what has allowed domestic and international tourists today to enjoy the spectacular view of the magnificent Taroko Gorge. Moreover, their work has also significantly helped the business and management of the national park.

The construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway began in July 1956 and was finished and opened to traffic in May 1960. It was the first highway built through the Central Mountains. The toughest part of the construction project was the marble conglomeration between Taroko and Tiansiang. During the project, 212 people died and 702 were injured. Changchun Shrine was built in memory of the personnel who died during the project.

Two big celebrations were held by the Taroko National Park Headquarters on the 30th and 40th anniversaries to mark the opening of the Central Cross-Island Highway to traffic. For the 30th anniversary (1990), the Headquarters held an activity to “Walk Along the Central Cross-Island Highway” and invited hundreds of the public to walk along the Central Cross-Island Highway and other trails to the Chungchun (Etertan Spring) Shrine to experience what it was like without the Central Cross-Island Highway. For the 40th anniversary (2000), an event to “Invite Old Veterans Back to the Central Cross-Island Highway” was held. Veterans who participated in the construction project returned to the highway to not only pay homage to their late colleagues, but also share their experiences with the public regarding how the highway was built and what they went through emotionally and physically.

Deputy Director Yu especially reminded the public that as we walk along the Central Cross-Island Highway and enjoy its magnificent views, we should be grateful to the veterans who committed themselves completely to the construction project and pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives for it.



Source:CPAMI,2007-08-27
Re-edited by Taiwan News