Forgotten Sites of Memory: Allied Prisoner-of-War Camps in Chinese Taiwan during World War II and the Politics of Historical Remembrance— An Analysis Based on the Theory of Lieux de Mémoire 

Han Yuhang

The Museum of War Crime Evidence by the Japanese Army Unit 731, Harbin China,150060；

Abstract：Taking the theory of lieux de mémoire (“sites of memory”) proposed by the French historian Pierre Nora as an analytical framework, this study examines how the historical spaces of World War II POW camps in Taiwan ,China,have become—or failed to become—triggers for collective social memory. Drawing upon the concept of “negative heritage,” the paper further analyzes the absence of effective mechanisms in cultural governance, heritage preservation, political recognition, and commemorative practices. Through textual analysis, policy review, and spatial observation, the study proposes new perspectives for the preservation and reactivation of the historical memory embedded in these POW camp sites in Taiwan,China.

Keywords：Chinese Taiwan; Allied Prisoner-of-War Camps; Lieux de Mémoire; Heritage Preservation

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