Taiwan builds peace bell from bombshells to recall war with China

Aug 4, 2011, 4:25 GMT

Taipei - The Taiwan government is building a giant peace bell from spent bombshells used in a battle more than 50 years ago with China as relations improve between the two sides, an official said on Thursday.

A bell about two metres high to be unveiled this month at the Peace Memorial Park on outlying Kinmen Island, a battlefield from the 1950s through 1970s, will mix copper with metal extracted from artillery shells, said Liao Yu-hsien, project manager with the government's Council for Cultural Affairs.

Those shells were used during a bloody battle that began on August 23, 1958. China fired about 480,000 artillery shells in the fighting that lasted 44 days and became a signature battle for the defence of Kinmen and other outlying islands held by the Nationalists in Taiwan.

Mao Zedong's Communists shelled Kinmen to rout Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists, who had fled to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War and were using the tiny isle just two kilometres from China as a defensive front line.

China still claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan, but since the election of Beijing-friendly Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in 2008 the two sides have put aside political differences to sign a series of trade and economic deals.

Kinmen in turn has become increasingly demilitarised, with a new focus on war tourism that brings groups over from China to see how the two sides used to fight.

'The bell is a memorial for the battle of August 23, and it's not necessary to bring in history or politics,' Liao said. 'This is a standard peace bell. But people from mainland China are definitely interested, so they might come see it.'

Building of the peace bell, a first of its kind in Taiwan, is one in a series of government activities to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Nationalists, who are today's ruling party. Officials would not disclose the cost of the bell.

It will be unveiled on August 23 and left on display for free public viewing.

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