The defense ministry is planning to spend eight years to build a national military museum.
The ten-storied building will house a large collection of military documents and archives ranging from the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) until now.
Speaking at an announcement ceremony on Saturday morning, President Ma Ying-joeu said he hopes the museum will help the public have a better understanding of Taiwan’s history.
Ma said in addition to documents concerning the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) during WWII, archives related to Taiwan’s resistance against the Japanese troops in 1895 should also be on display.
The president was referring to a war launched by the Taiwanese people to safeguard the island about a month after Japan’s takeover of Taiwan in 1895. Following the end of the First Sino-Japanese War in April 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan by the imperial Qing dynasty under the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
Ma said the Taiwanese resisted Japan’s imperialism and aggression with bravery and determination for nearly six months.