Double Ten: From Military Flex to Identity Appreciation

TaiwanPlus News

On Friday, Taiwan will celebrate its National Day. While in the past it was a way to showcase the country’s military might, National Day, also known as Double Ten Day, has become an occasion to celebrate Taiwan's diversity and culture.   Watch TaiwanPlus’ national day live show on October 10 at 9 a.m. Taipei time on YouTube.  #TaiwanPlusNews #Taiwan #DoubleTenDay #NationalDay #國慶日 #雙十節   Reporters: Leslie Liao/Eric Tsai   Video Editors: Alison Nguyen

Transcript

00:00This is footage from the first documented National Day observance in Taiwan.

00:07The date is October 10, 1949.

00:10Back then, the Kuomintang was losing the civil war in China against the communists,

00:16and its Republic of China, or ROC government, was about to retreat and move its capital to Taipei.

00:22This ceremony was a military parade,

00:25a way to show that the KMT was still in the war and vying to represent modern China.

00:30In the early days, it was very much about, you know, we are the government of China,

00:35we are the military of China, we are free China, and, you know, we are ready to continue the fight.

00:44Known as Double Ten Day, as it falls on October 10 each year,

00:48the date commemorates the Wuchang Uprising, which eventually led to the ROC's founding.

00:54In the decades after the 1949 parade, Taiwan continued to mark Double Ten by flexing its military might.

01:03But in recent years, Taiwan's National Day celebrations look very different.

01:08The military aspect of National Day was slowly dropped,

01:11and the holiday turned into more of a civilian celebration,

01:15a celebration of the country's diverse backgrounds and culture, and not just the Republic of China.

01:22And while military equipment is sometimes featured during the ceremony now,

01:26it's usually billed as a showcase of Taiwan's self-defense capabilities rather than military ambitions.

01:33In many ways, Double Ten Day is a showcase of how Taiwan has changed over the years.

01:39Though originally a way to show off the ROC's military prowess,

01:43it's come to embrace the country that Taiwan has become.

01:47The following year, the international ceremony will be along the way to the World War III.

01:48It's been a long time since its nationality.

01:49It's been a long time since the World War III.

01:50We may have an extended video to the World War III.

01:51It's been a long time since the World War II.

01:52It's been a long time since it was a long time since the World War II

01:54But in the end of the day, we have to do this kind of a short time since it was a long time.

01:56So through this kind of an ongoing fashion,

01:57we released the first time after the World War II,

01:58we also began to use the不同 of the groups and the whole time.

01:59From the next stage in the year,

02:01we started to use the collaboration between the groups and the together.

02:03to strengthen the together,

02:04to strengthen the together.

02:05see

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