An artist has erected an inflatable tank display in Taiwan’s capital to mark the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in China.

The balloon installation, which stands in front of Taipei’s famous Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, depicts the iconic encounter between a Chinese citizen and the military tanks in Beijing.

The “tank man” standoff – captured by several photographers on 4 June, 1989 – has become a global symbol of political defiance. Hundreds of people in Taipei came to look at the installation on Saturday, with many taking selfies and photos of the artwork.

An inscription for the artwork, reportedly the work of Taiwanese artist Shake, states that Taiwan stands with the people who have never ceased to resist the “gigantic autocracy”.

While public remembrances of the Tiananmen protests remain strictly forbidden in mainland China, there are regular commemorations in democratically governed Taiwan – which split from China in 1949, though Beijing still claims the island as part of its territory.

Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Show all 12 1 /12 Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Man blocks tank A tank driving down a road nearby Tiananmen Square is blocked by an unidentified man on 5 June. The picture is seen around the globe as a protest against the previous days events, when tensions that had been building for months came to a head... Bettmann Archive via Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Hu Yaobang dies - 15 April Former general secretary of the Communist Party Hu Yaobang dies aged 73 of a heart attack. He was a leading reformer of the Chinese system who the public saw to be unfairly removed from government. Citizens flock to Tiananmen Square to mourn him. Mourning soon turns to anger as they dwell on the state of China. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Protests spread - 17 April In the days after Hu's death, university students around China are organising. On 17 April, thousands of students march on Tiananmen Square to demand democracy and greater freedoms. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events "We must a clear stand against disturbances" - 26 April So begins the editorial on the front page of the People's Daily, the Chinese state newspaper, on 26 April. The editorial goes on to attack the protesters as anti-party and anti-government. Protesters read a clear message that the government is against them and call for the editorial to be retracted. Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Protests spread further - 4 May Thousands more students in five cities across China join the protests. Head of the Communist Party Zhao Ziyang tells a meeting of bankers that the protests are sure to subside. Pictured are journalists from the China Daily newspaper showing support in Tiananmen Square. Protesters were calling for freedom of the press, among other rights common to democracies Reuters Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Hunger strikes begin - 13 May Hundreds of students begin hunger strikes, upping the stakes of the protests. Pictured: Paramedics remove a student protester who has been on hunger strike on 17 May 1989 AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Zhao visits Tiananmen Square - 19 May Now doubting that the strikes will subside without intervention from the government, party head Zhao Ziyang visits Tiananmen Square and urges students to end the hunger strike. Chinese premier Li Peng briefly joins Zhao but leaves soon after arriving. Zhao was removed from office later in the day. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Martial law declared - 20 May Chinese premier Li Peng declares martial law. Soldiers move in on Tiananmen Square but many are held up by protesters. Soldiers are ordered not to fire on civilians. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Protests continue - 22 May to 1 June On 22 May, a military helicopter drops leaflets above Tiananmen Square that instruct protesters to leave immediately. Despite this, protests continue while the army withdraws. Reuters Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Soldiers move in to clear the square - 3 June On the evening of 3 June, soldiers advance with force. Protesters are warned that the troops have the right to use any methods necessary to clear the square. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Soldiers open fire - 4 June In the early hours of the morning, some troops begin to shoot dead protesters who defy their efforts to clear the square. Pictured: A man is covered in blood after the People's Liberation Army open fire on protesters in Tiananmen Square Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Man blocks tank - 5 June A tank driving down a road nearby Tiananmen Square is blocked by an unidentified man. The picture is seen around the globe as a protest against the previous days events. Bettmann Archive via Getty

Tuesday will mark 30 years since the infamous crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests, led by students based in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.

The government sent armed troops and armoured military vehicles into the city centre to enforce martial law and forcibly clear the streets of demonstrators overnight from 3 June into 4 June.

The death toll from the crackdown has been estimated from several hundred to thousands of people, but the Chinese authorities have never provided official figures.

The ruling Communist Party punishes citizens who dare to speak publicly about the events of 1989. While some people inside China are unaware of the protests, others have learned about it through smuggled DVDs and software used to scale the internet firewall.

Chinese dissident Wu Yenhua, who left China for the US following the protests in 1989, is now a scholar in Taiwan and paid a visit to the inflatable tank. Mr Wu witnessed the crackdown on student activists and has been researching the massacre.

“I want to record history so that Chinese [people] in future will know that on their land, this disaster occurred,” he said.

Chinese dissident Wu Yenhua next to artwork in Taipei (EPA)

Earlier this week Amnesty International claimed China had detained or threatened dozens of people seeking to commemorate the victims of the Tianamen massacre, calling on the authorities to end the “wave of persecution”.

A US photographer who shot one of the iconic images of the man standing in front of tanks has said it is time for the Chinese government to acknowledge the events of 30 years ago.

Jeff Widener, an Associated Press photo editor covering China’s student-led pro-democracy at the time of the Tiananmen protests, took the “tank man” shot showing the unknown citizen holding shopping bags while facing a row of tanks.

“The United States and European countries have made mistakes throughout history and they've reconciled those problems,” said Mr Widener.

“I think it’s time for China to move forward and just come clean on what happened, report to the family members what happened to their loved ones so that they can put this to rest,” he added. “I think that’s the right, decent thing to do.”

The man captured in the “tank man” photo moved at least twice to block the tanks and climbed on the turret of one to converse with a crew member.

Eventually, he was whisked from the scene by two men in blue, whose identities, like that of the man himself, have never been revealed.