Witnesses to History: The Scene of June 4th and Taiwan’s Memory

The June 4th events of 1989 were not only a historical episode that unfolded in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square — they profoundly shaped how the whole world understands freedom, democracy, and state violence.

A Conversation on Witness, Memory, and Continuity

Some were there in person; others kept watch from afar. Different vantage points together make up the memory of this history.

As the memory of June 4th is increasingly suppressed in China and Hong Kong, Taiwan’s role as a place where it can still be openly commemorated and discussed matters more than ever. This isn’t just a lecture looking back at history — it’s a conversation about witness, memory, and continuity. Join us as we step back into history and reconsider why June 4th still matters to us today.

Speakers and Perspectives

• June 4th witness Wu Renhua:
  Sharing what he witnessed on the streets and in the square in Beijing, from his perspective at the time as a young lecturer at the China University of Political Science and Law and a member of the Tiananmen Square picket team.
• 1989 student movement leader Zhou Fengsuo:
  Looking back at the organizing, actions, and historical choices of the student movement.
• Chang Lung-chiao, Executive Director of the Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation:
  Recalling, from Taiwan’s perspective, the memories and feelings of following June 4th together through live broadcasts and gatherings at the time.