10 October 1911 is a key day of the 20th century; on that day, the Wuchang Uprising against the Qing took place; from it sprang the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the imperial dynasty; and from that sprang the Republic of China.
It is here that things become somewhat political. The People’s Republic of China, that is, the mainland, celebrates the Anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution. Not so Taiwan. It celebrates Double Ten Day, aka National Day of the Republic of China, Double Tenth Day, or Taiwan National Day.
The delicacy of the day in Chinese sentiment is well picked up by the Double Tenth Agreement concluded on 10 October 1945. Essentially, the Communists were to recognise the Kuomintang as the Chinese government while the KMT was to recognise the Communists as an opposition party, shades of that delightfully English expression “His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition”.
The war was over and different pressures were being applied in different ways by both the US and Russia, of course for different reasons. All to no avail; by 1946 there was civil war and by 1949 the KMT were relocated in Taiwan.
Why is Double Ten Day such a big day for Taiwan and for so many in the Chinese diaspora? The Republic of China was officially established on 1 January 1912, so one can understand the practical concern to get a national rather than a calendar focus; Australia had been established on 1 January 1901 and it took many years to forge a different Australia Day.
I suspect one reason Double Ten Day is the national day is because it appears to have been a big day for Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. For much of its early life, he personified the Republic in a very different but also in a very similar way as Chairman Mao personified the PRC.
On 10 October 1928 Chiang was named director of the State Council. Fifteen years later on 10 October 1943 he was Chairman of the National Government of China. Eventually, he declared himself what each of these positions effectively had been, president.
Time moves on. In 2017, the China Daily, an English language daily run by the mainland CCP, ran a piece headed “Making an impression abroad”:
Madam Chiang Kai-shek’s Congee: The famous Mrs Chiang was well known for her beauty regime and this was one of her secrets－a light porridge made with fresh lily bulbs and Chinese yam. This is a slightly sweet porridge.
Just as well; since 2009, 10 October has been World Porridge Day.
