Lee Teng-hui memorial to be open to public from Aug. 1-16

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has instructed that a memorial be set up at the Taipei Guest House from Aug. 1-16, to allow members of the public to pay their last respects to former President Lee Teng-hui(李登輝).

Presidential Office Spokesperson Alex Huang (黃重諺) made the announcement at a press briefing Friday after a meeting between representatives of the Presidential Office, Lee's family, and officials from relevant governments agencies to discuss funeral arrangements earlier in the day.

The memorial will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with photographs and video clips detailing Lee's life as well as displays of personal items, Huang said.

Foreign dignitaries and friends who want to pay their respects but are unable to visit Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to leave messages for Lee in autograph books at Taiwan's embassies and overseas representative offices, he said.

According to Huang, Tsai also instructed Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) to organize a high-level committee to plan Lee's funeral, which will be chaired by Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

Lee, who served as Taiwan's president from 1988-2000 and was praised by many local and international leaders as a democratic icon, succumbed to multiple organ failure at the age of 97 on Thursday.

At Friday's meeting chaired by Su, it was decided that schools and government agencies across the country will fly the national flag at half-mast for three days beginning at noon Friday, Huang said.

Lee will be cremated and his ashes interred in a special zone designated for those who make significant contributions to the nation at Wuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery, according to a military source.