The Tzuhu Presidential Mausoleum, where the remains of Chiang Kai-shek are currently housed, has been re-opened, and Chiang memorabilia, chock full of political symbolism, are hot items for tourists. (Lan Chun-hsiao)

"Under martial law, we erectedbronze statues in honor of our leaders. But now we have figurines that can be held in the hand," remarked marketing expert and author Wang Wen-hua on a radio program.

From the Grand Hotel offering Soong May-ling's favorite Western salads, coffee and red bean cakes for breakfast, to Taoyuan County's Chiang Family Cultural Park with its collection of over 150 Chiang statues toppled during a wave of anti-authoritarianism, and where one can buy Chiang bobbleheads and other souvenirs, the storied First Family of Taiwan, though its stature has waned, has become a lucrative cultural and tourism asset.

In a river terrace in a mountainous part of Tahsi Township in Taoyuan County, a stream trickles through a gully from a deep depression at the base of Mt. Paishih, first flowing into narrow Rear Tzuhu lake, then spilling over a curved ridge called Dragon Pass before flowing into Front Tzuhu.

The 30-hectare Tzuhu lake system is formed by a chain of three ponds, large and small. From upstream down they are Rear Tzuhu, Front Tzuhu and Niuchiaonanpi. The latter two ponds flank the Tzuhu Presidential Mausoleum, forming a natural water barrier in the woodlands surrounding the mausoleum and making for a shady, serene and secluded mountain landscape.

Rear Tzuhu sits nestled among the mountains of the Hsichou range. In the days before it was a restricted area, the locals called it Dragon Pass Hollow. The pond has a large capacity and serves as a natural reservoir. It still boasts fish aplenty, and locals used to fish here and sell their catch on the streets of Tahsi to supplement their family incomes.