Well, here it is one of those holidays that we faithfully celebrate every year – Ten-Ten Day. Both the faithful readers know all about it — that it’s Taiwan’s Independence Day.
As a way of background, in case you don’t know, the National Day of the Republic of China is referred to as Double Ten Day or Ten Ten Day. It commemorates the start of the Wuchang Uprising that occurred on October 10, 1911 that led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in China and the establishment of the ROC on January 1, 1912.
Subsequently, during the course of the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China lost control of mainland China and fled to Taiwan Island in December of 1949. The National Day, or Ten Ten Day, is mostly celebrated in Taiwan, but a lot of Chinese immigrants in the United States also celebrate on the 10th.
Since the Communist Party of China seized control of mainland China (in 1949) October 10 is celebrated in the People’s Republic of China, not as Taiwan’s Independence Day, but as the anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution and the Wuchang Uprising.
But no matter. Even though the US doesn’t officially recognize the government of Taiwan, we still celebrate and have Chinese food every 10th of October.
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