This year marks the sixth anniversary of the Hong Kong anti-extradition movement. No commemorative events can be held in Hong Kong, and no traces of the protests remain on the streets. Hong Kong groups in Taiwan, in addition to holding commemorative parades, are also working to preserve the Lennon Wall in a pedestrian tunnel in Taichung and are planning to add another Lennon Wall in Taipei. This station interviewed Hong Kong exiles who maintain the Lennon Wall in Taiwan to discuss its significance and why they are so crucial.
Tsai Chih-hao, a protester who participated in the storming of the Legislative Council and organized a supply station during the 2019 anti-extradition movement and was wounded by a bean bag, now living in exile in Taiwan, has met the five-year residency requirement in Taiwan and recently officially became a Taiwanese citizen. While this change of identity marks a fresh start in life, it doesn't mean he's forgotten the anti-extradition movement six years ago or his longing for Hong Kong. Tsai said the Lennon Wall in the Taichung pedestrian tunnel and at National Chengchi University are where he finds memories in Taiwan. He admitted that every time he sees the anti-extradition propaganda and messages of support for Hong Kong on the Lennon Wall, he feels a surge of emotion, recalling unforgettable pain, and feels grateful that the Lennon Wall is preserved in Taiwan. He believes that preserving the Lennon Wall represents that Hong Kong people's commitment to democracy in 2019 has not been forgotten.
Cai Zhihao said, "As a protester, I'm very happy to still see the Lennon Wall in Taiwan, and that people are still willing to maintain it and allow people visiting Taiwan to visit it. This shows that there are still people who remember the 2019 anti-extradition movement and the efforts Hong Kong people have made for democracy. This place (Lennon Wall) is not only for us (Hong Kong people) to remember, because in Hong Kong there are too many things that cannot be said, too many memories that cannot be recalled. Some of my Hong Kong friends will make a special trip to the Lennon Wall in Taichung when they come to Taiwan, leaving a note to say what they couldn't say in Hong Kong. It's a sad reality that we have to do in other places what Hong Kong once did. But being able to rediscover the past that has been erased and sealed in Hong Kong in Taiwan is a kind of spiritual reparation."
Exiled Hong Kong artist Huang Guocai rebuilt the Lennon Wall in Taichung after it was removed with a protest painting.
Taichung's Lennon Tunnel is the only Lennon Wall preserved in a public area in Taiwan. Huang Guocai, a Hong Kong artist living in exile in Taiwan, described seeing the Lennon Wall for the first time after moving to Taichung in 2021 as a profound shock. He noted that the area offers many records of the protests that have been erased by the Hong Kong government, such as anti-extradition bill propaganda and messages on sticky notes. The Lennon Wall in the Taichung pedestrian tunnel is like a time capsule, well worth preserving. Therefore, he and a group of anonymous volunteers regularly maintain and add new content. He stated that the Lennon Wall serves as a place to spread democratic demands and beliefs. Preserving the Lennon Tunnel in Taichung preserves the legacy of the anti-extradition bill movement while also injecting new life into it.
Huang Guocai said, "The Lennon Wall is an important part of our (Hong Kong people's) collective memory. From 2014 to 2019, it was where we spread our democratic demands. Now, the Lennon Wall and democracy and freedom in Hong Kong are gone. The Lennon Tunnel in Taichung has become a place that preserves the memory of Taiwanese and Hong Kong people participating together in the 2019 protests. I patrol the Lennon Tunnel almost every week. Last June 12 (the anniversary of the anti-extradition bill movement), I sang "Glory to Hong Kong" here with friends. There are also some less famous volunteers who regularly come to add new content to keep the Lennon Wall Tunnel fresh over the years, so that it is not just about Hong Kong in 2019, but also a place for personal and community interaction."
Huang Guocai said that part of the Lennon Tunnel was cleared earlier, and he quickly turned his anger into strength and began to reset and transform the Lennon Tunnel. He believed that this would extend the value and time of the Lennon Tunnel's preservation, and also reflect the spirit of resistance of Hong Kong people.
Huang Guocai said, "Every crisis presents opportunity. As a curator, I want to turn the cleared area into an art space. I've selected some high-quality works related to 2019 and printed them at my own expense as large posters to post. If anyone comes back to clear it and then tear it down, I'll reimburse them, just like we did during the 2019 protests. This spirit of perseverance is the resilience of resistance. I hope to turn the Lennon Tunnel into an art gallery, showcasing the stories of those who bravely fought for democracy in Hong Kong. I also hope that Taiwanese people can learn from Hong Kong's resistance movement and be reminded to resist the CCP's verbal and military intimidation and cross-border repression."
Plans to add a Lennon Wall in Taipei: The Lennon Wall embodies Taiwan's democracy and tolerance
A protester in exile in Taiwan traveled to Tangshan to raise awareness of the demolition of a section of the Lennon Tunnel in Taichung. He stated that protecting the Lennon Wall is not only a matter for Hong Kong people, but also a matter of safeguarding Taiwan's core values. He is currently searching for a suitable location in Taipei City, hoping to establish a permanent Lennon Wall there.
Fu Tang said, "The Lennon Wall isn't just a place for Hong Kong people to express their democratic demands; there are Lennon Walls everywhere there is democracy. The Lennon Wall represents the right to freedom of expression that fosters diversity and inclusiveness. This right once existed in Hong Kong, but has now been lost. Protecting the Lennon Wall isn't just about protecting the freedom of expression of Hong Kong people in Taiwan, it's also about protecting Taiwan's vital values of peace and inclusiveness. When we find a suitable location, we will petition the Taipei City Government to establish a permanent Lennon Wall, recreating Hong Kong's vital values and reminding Taiwanese people to cherish their existing freedoms. At the same time, we'll be telling the world that Taiwan is not part of China, because there's no place for a Lennon Wall in China."
Fu Tang said that as a beacon of democracy in Asia, if a permanent Lennon Wall could be established in Taipei, it would become an iconic tourist attraction in Taiwan and allow the world to see Taiwan's democracy and tolerance.
