Green Island White Terror Memorial Park

Green Island, a small volcanic island off the southeast coast of Taiwan near Taitung, became one of the principal places of political imprisonment during the White Terror. Isolated by the sea, the northeast corner of the island held a series of detention facilities, including the New Life Correction Center and the later prison complex known as Oasis Villa, built around an eight-sided cellblock. From 1949 onwards, thousands of people deemed political offenders under martial law were sent here for imprisonment, forced labour and "re-education", far from their families on the mainland of Taiwan.

As a remote island prison associated with long confinement and injustice, the cellblocks and grounds can feel stark and haunting, and some visitors describe the octagonal prison as particularly affecting. Such impressions are personal responses to a documented site of suffering, and the memorial park interprets the island through survivor testimony and human-rights history rather than any supernatural claim.

Now the Green Island White Terror Memorial Park under the National Human Rights Museum, the site preserves the prison structures and memorials, including a wall listing victims' names, against a striking coastal backdrop. Its genuine value lies in remembering those imprisoned for their beliefs and in prompting reflection on democracy and human dignity.

The Green Island White Terror Memorial Park is managed by the National Human Rights Museum and is open to the public, generally with free admission and guided tours that can be pre-booked; opening arrangements should be confirmed with the museum. Visitors can explore the preserved New Life Correction Center and Oasis Villa cellblocks, memorials and exhibitions set within the island landscape.

Reaching the site involves travel to Green Island by ferry or small aircraft from Taitung, plus local transport, so visits require some planning. As a memorial to victims of political persecution, the park should be approached with respect and reflection, and travellers are encouraged to allow time for both the history and the surrounding coastal scenery.