The Marine Observation Tower, a.k.a. the Pagoda, was a gift to Virginia and the City of Norfolk from the Taiwan Provincial Government. During a good will trade mission to Norfolk in 1983, Dr. Lee Teng-Hui, then Governor of Taiwan and, later, the President of the Republic of China, proposed the riverfront gift. In 1989, the two-story octagon structure was built on and around the pillars that previously supported a 500,000 gallon molasses storage tank. Materials for the tower were manufactured in Taiwan and shipped to Norfolk where the Pagoda was meticulously assembled by artisans from Taiwan.
Who gave us the Pagoda?
a) Dr. Lee Teng-Hui N 36 51.021 W 076 17.730
b) Chiang Kai-shek N 36 52.053 W 076 17.761