Extract

As the capital of Taiwan, Taipei has always been the flagship in Taiwan’s development. It is also the main site of Taiwanese cultural infrastructure investments. During the era of ‘anti-communism and revival of the country’ from the 1950s to the 1990s, and even to the present day, these cultural facilities have important ideological and political functions. The government has used them for political ends to indicate that Taiwan is still the legitimate heir to Chinese culture. In addition, these facilities have been used for ideological education internally, to support anti-communism efforts. Since the early 1990s, Taiwan’s political-economic landscape has undergone significant changes. The government rescinded martial law in 1987 and turned towards democratization. In the course of these changes, many assembly halls previously used for political functions have been released for cultural use. This has quickly transformed Taipei’s cultural landscape and contributed to more diversity in cultural life for citizens.