Boots for the Brave

The remnants of their boots were etched into the pavement, perfect lines stretching to the foot of the shrine.

 

The National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine stood loudly against the base of Qing Mountain in Taipei, Taiwan. Its red and green splash clashed with the lush of the 33,000 square acres of foliage beyond.

Within each hour, the silence was broken by the steady thud of heavy boots, one directly in front of the other made by five lines of composure guards. The Changing of the Guards Ceremony beat to the memory of those 330,000 men who sacrificed their own pace of life.

Each step closer to their post is taken in the name of those whose heroic deeds allowed the steps of future Taiwanese generations.

Once at their post, the finely-clad uniforms even give respect to those honored here with their rigid, unfazed forms, preserving the memories of those fallen, frozen in time and in dignity.

In between ceremonies, the only noises that remain are those of the awe-struck tourists with their cameras and of the spiritual whispers twisting through the red columns and rustling the greens. These faint stirrings let the observer know that the soldiers of past are accounted for.

All the photos are taken by me.

For more information: Taiwan Tourism