Green Island Human Rights Memorial Park | Taitung Attraction

Green Island Human Rights Memorial Park was established on the site where political prisoners were held during the White Terror period. Its predecessors were the Xinsheng Training Center and the Lyudao Mountain Villa, which together held thousands of political dissidents in Taiwan. The original prison building complex has been preserved on site, along with a human rights memorial monument and historical exhibition. It is one of the most important witness sites in Taiwan for confronting the history of authoritarianism.

Highlights of the Human Rights Memorial Park

Beginning in the 1950s, the Nationalist government established the Xinsheng Training Center on Green Island to hold political prisoners sentenced in political cases. In the 1970s it was reorganized as the Lyudao Mountain Villa and continued operating. Green Island, surrounded on all sides by ocean and naturally isolated, served as an ideal site for detaining political prisoners. Those detained came from all walks of life — writers, teachers, students, farmers, and workers — and were required during their imprisonment to perform labor and undergo political re-education.

In 1999 the Taiwan Human Rights Memorial Park was established here and is now managed by the National Human Rights Museum as part of its network of cultural park sites. The park has preserved the original detention facilities, prison cells, and labor factory buildings, along with a permanent exhibition explaining the historical context of the White Terror. The Weeping Monument within the park is a well-known symbol of human rights. The openness of the coastal space forms a stark contrast with the sealed environment of detention that once existed here. Please conduct yourself with solemnity when visiting — this is a historical site where survivors and their families are still living.

How to make the most of your visit

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Permanent exhibitionThe exhibition presents the full history of the White Terror through archival documents, photographs, and oral histories. Allow at least 1.5 to 2 hours to read through it carefully.

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Prison cell experienceThe cells preserved in their original state allow visitors to feel the cramped, claustrophobic conditions of confinement — the most viscerally powerful historical experience in the park.

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Human Rights Memorial MonumentThe Weeping Monument and the coastal scenery create a dialogue between history and nature; it is the most symbolically significant piece of public art in the park.

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Guided interpretation serviceThe National Human Rights Museum periodically arranges professional guided tours — check the official website to book. In-depth interpretation far surpasses visiting on your own.

Practical information

Getting there & time

After arriving on Green Island, the park is located near Jiangjun Rock on the northern side of the island. You can ride a scooter or take a taxi; it is about 10 minutes from Nanliao Harbor.
The park is free to enter. Check the National Human Rights Museum's official website to confirm opening hours and guided tour schedules. Transportation to Green Island (ferry or flight) must also be confirmed in advance.

Nearby connections

Sunrise Hot Spring is on the southeastern side of the island and can be combined with the Human Rights Park in a single-day itinerary — Human Rights Park in the morning, hot spring in the afternoon.
Green Island Lighthouse and the Jiangjun Rock coastal scenery are also in the vicinity; natural and historical sites can be connected on foot.

Sources: National Human Rights Museum official website; Taiwan Human Rights Historical and Cultural Park. Photos pending Dio's on-site photography.

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