Department of Cultural Affairs

Hai-kuang Yin was a philosopher who embraced liberalism and taught at the nearby National Taiwan University. In 1960, his writings in the dissident magazine Free China, and his calling with Lei Chen and others for the formation of an opposition party, led to his being blacklisted by the government. Not only was he unable to continue teaching at university, his works were also banned, and he was under constant surveillance for the rest of his life. Despite these challenges, Yin continued to be a serious thinker and writer in this little house until his death in 1969.

The article that led to Yin’s ban is titled “The Great River Flows On” (大江東流擋不住). In it, he argued that reasonable aspirations for freedom, democracy, and human rights would inevitably be realized and could not be obstructed by a few individuals. Although Yin did not live to see his wishes come true, today we are free to walk down this quiet, narrow alley to his former residence without surveillance to pay tribute to this freedom fighter.

No. 1-1, Aly. 16, Ln. 18, Wenzhou St., Da'an Dist., Taipei City