Taiwan observes National Day on October 10. The celebrations are special every year, but this year’s festivities included some especially big and significant events.
From October 4 to 10, Taiwan’s Presidential Office building hosted a nightly lightshow showcasing Taiwanese history. The building itself served as the show’s canvas. The show was held as a prelude to this year’s National Day celebrations on October 10. The choice of the Presidential Office as a canvas was significant- this year, the building turns 100.
Early on the morning of National Day itself, crowds gathered outside the Presidential Office for the National Day ceremony. This year’s theme was “Taiwan Forward”. The ceremony featured marching bands, lion dancers, and hip hop performers.
Professor Anna Azusa Fujita, a prominent Japanese pianist, and Pastore Edmund Ryden sang the national anthem. They were joined by 30 members of the Vietnam arts stars choir, a group representing Taiwan’s new Southeast Asian residents.
One of the highlights of this years’ ceremony was the Taiwan Heroes Parade, which honored outstanding athletes and competitors who shined on the international stage. Jeeps ferried these outstanding individuals in to the cheers of onlookers.
The ceremony in Taipei was only one of the many events held across Taiwan for National Day. In Taoyuan, an evening reception was put on for locals and expatriates returning home for the holiday. There were performances by local indigenous groups, singers, and masters of traditional opera.
The most impressive event of all took place in the evening, in Taiwan’s southernmost county, Pingtung. There, 16,000 fireworks were launched over 42 minutes -- the longest National Day fireworks display to date. The Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra provided powerful background music for the occasion, bringing this year’s National Day to a satisfying finale.