Double Ten Day

Origins and history

The holiday traces its roots to 10 October 1911, when the Wuchang Uprising broke out against the ruling Qing dynasty. This rebellion led to the broader 1911 Revolution, concluding more than two millennia of imperial rule that began under the Qin dynasty. The Republic of China was inaugurated on New Year's Day in 1912, and 10 October became its foundational holiday that same year. Following the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the government relocated to Taiwan, where the celebration took root and evolved over subsequent decades.

Ceremonies and performances

Festivities in Taipei commence at the Presidential Office Building with an early morning flag raising and the collective singing of the national anthem. Large gatherings in the plaza showcase diverse cultural traditions, including percussion troupes, acrobatic lion dances, and music from Taiwanese Indigenous groups. In past decades, grand military parades assembled ground troops, armored columns, and overhead aircraft formations before visiting dignitaries. While traditional troop reviews have become less frequent, modern events continue to feature civic security services, police units, and cultural displays.

Evening fireworks and speeches

During the afternoon, the president delivers a major holiday address to the public, reviewing national achievements and setting future priorities. As night falls, massive fireworks displays illuminate skies across the island's urban centers, drawing crowds of families and spectators. Although funding is occasionally redirected during national crises, such as after severe typhoons, the fireworks remain a hallmark of the celebration. In addition to events on the main island, diaspora groups and overseas civic associations organize their own gatherings and flag ceremonies.

How Double Ten Day is kept

The day opens with formal ceremonies outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, where officials and citizens gather for the raising of the national flag and the anthem. Cultural showcases follow, featuring lion dances, percussion ensembles, and Indigenous performances. State processions or celebration drills may proceed past the viewing stands. In the afternoon, the president gives a national address, and the holiday culminates at night with coordinated public fireworks shows across major cities.

When and where

The holiday takes place every year on 10 October, a fixed date commemorating the start of the 1911 uprising. Because of the calendar digits of the tenth day of the tenth month, the event is universally known as Double Ten.

Double Ten is officially observed across Taiwan, with focal events staged around the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. Celebrations and fireworks also occur in other major Taiwanese cities, as well as among overseas communities in locations such as Hong Kong.

What Double Ten Day means

The holiday honors the collapse of imperial dynastic control and the establishment of republican governance in 1912. For citizens and diaspora communities, it represents civic endurance, public unity, and historical commemoration, reflected in the Double Ten emblem composed of two Chinese characters for the number ten.

Days Double Ten Day is marked

Double Ten Day dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Double Ten Day

See also

Mid-Autumn FestivalAn annual harvest festival celebrating family reunions, full moons and mooncakesQingming FestivalA spring custom of sweeping family graves and honouring ancestors across East Asia.Buddha's BirthdayA festival marking the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, observed across Asia with temple rituals and community gatherings.Double Ninth FestivalAn autumn festival of mountain walks, chrysanthemum wine and ancestor remembrance

Good reading and sources

• Defiant Taiwan's identity is moving away from ChinaBBC, Article
• Defiant Taiwan's identity is moving away from ChinaBBC, Article

• National Day of the Republic of China on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.