The scene along Taipei's major streets brightens up at the beginning of October each year. Special neon lights light up the night as gala decorations festoon buildings, trees, and even overpasses. This cheerful outlook is in anticipation of the approaching birthday of Asia's oldest republic, the Republic of China.
Each year the central government arranges a predominantly military or civil parade, involving on the order of a quarter million people, to celebrate its Double Ten (October 10) National Day. A tremendous responsibility and work load to sponsoring organizations, the parade is a patriotic extravaganza and a symbol of unity for a watching public.
It was still quiet, even in this city of more than two millions, at 6:30 on this holiday morning. On our way to the Presidential Office, we saw a few students waiting for buses and several peddlers pushing their carts, few other signs of activity. With the special pass on our windshield, it took us only two or three minutes to pass through several main streets ordinarily packed with wheels, now totally empty—evacuated for the parade.
Air Force Academy cadets strike out in full parade step as they approach the stands
At 7:00, in the Presidential Office Plaza, task forces were attending to final preparatory jobs—aligning chairs, loosening national flags enwrapped by the night wind, making everything neat and clean. The television and radio stations began setting up their equipment.
The wind was blowing slightly across the vast and empty plaza; only the sound of "testing...testing" occasionally broke the silence. The atmosphere was very much like that moment just before the show curtain is lifted.
On the reviewing stand in front of the Presidential Office, Premier Sun Yun-suan and the President of the Legislative Yuan, Nieh Wen-ya, were in their seats before nine o'clock. Dr. Kennedy A. Simmond, Premier of the newly founded Caribbean nation, St. Christopher and Nevis, was chatting with Premier Sun when the two heavily scheduled national leaders were interrupted by reporters making the most of the sudden opportunity for an interview.
Hundreds of feet from the plaza, in Chieh Shou Park, thousands of multicolored captive balloons and doves waited the climactic moment of their release. The seasonal wind, blowing from the direction of the park to the Presidential Office, guaranteed their proper trajectory for the celebrations.
The headgear of festivity participants spells out holiday messages, like flowers in a formal garden
Along the empty parade route, curious, impatient crowds squeezed out standing space. Many people climbed trees for a better view; many others wore children on their shoulders. Other small kids peeped through the legs of the Scouts, who were maintaining order along the route.
The lucky people living in the area needed only to open their windows and stick out their heads to get the best view.
Fifteen or twenty years ago, before television saturated the island, there was obvious reason for people to swarm around the Presidential Plaza for the big event. But now, when everyone can just push a button and do his watching on the sofa, and then have a view of the parade in incredible detail, more subtle motivations are at play. Parents still camp before dawn with their children to stake out a good spot, waiting to see everyone and everything in person.
About 9:30, a band led endless student marching troupes into the plaza, where they assembled for the ceremony. Among their multitude, some two thousand senior high school students drew most attention with individual headgear that joined up to trace out the six Chinese characters "Long Live the Republic of China."
From that point, other participant groups entered the plaza from all directions in very rapid order. The beat of the drums quickened. At ten o'clock, Nieh Wen-ya, president of the Legislative Yuan, reached the rostrum to announce the start of the Double Ten ceremony. "I wish you all a very good time today. Our parade will begin very soon. The impressive processions within the parade reflect the high spirits, grand unity, and self-confidence of all our people on this bastion of national recovery."
The "Quick Thunder" police emergency unit passes in review
Soon after, President Chiang Ching-kuo appeared on the review balcony of the Presidential Office, and a wave of applause spread through the crowds. He waved, and the tens of thousands assembled in the plaza roared back: "How are you Mr. President."
President Chiang Ching-kuo then addressed the nation:
"The National Revolution of 1911 awakened the Chinese people, overthrew the despotic Manchu Dynasty, and brought about the founding of the Republic. The Double Tenth, therefore, symbolizes the clarion call of independence and raises the Chinese standard of freedom. In celebrating our national day today, we are not only commemorating this glorious day of the Revolution, but also telling the world that we are marching along the road to victory over Communism and toward national recovery....All of the Chinese living here and abroad in freedom and happiness today, are well aware that their billion compatriots on the Chinese mainland are our kith and kin, the same flesh and blood. This relationship does not permit us to look across the sea and watch their affliction with indifference. "We should grasp the opportune time and act promptly, with all our strength, to propagate the good government and humanitarian policy of the Three Principles of the People on the mainland. We should relieve our brothers and sisters there of their trials and tribulations at the earliest possible time and assure that the glory of our national flag shines over the whole of China. Most important of all, we must carry on to the end and never compromise with the enemy in the course of our anti-Communist struggle. Only in doing so can we be assured of our final victory. Let us rally together, struggle together, and strive together to accomplish the mission of our times—to reunify China through implementation of the Three Principles of the People (the governmental guides of the nation's founding fathers)."
When the President ended his National Day message, a formation of aircraft streamed colored smoke across the skies over the square. On the ground, the call of bugles began the birthday parade. Then the hordes of freed balloons and doves sparkled above the plaza.
Above, representatives of the island's aboriginal tribes drop Western clothes for ceremonial costumes as they march and dance at the celebrations; Taoist priests in yellow robes also recall fleeing centuries
Following a herald echelon of Military Police ceremonial vehicles, the paraders, two hundred fifty thousand strong, came on in four echelons: The first, comprising formations organized from among the student bodies of the various military academies, from the armed forces reserves, and from the garrison forces of the off-shore islands or Kinmen and Matsu, marched in precise formation, saluting the stands. The second echelon featured colorful student marching units and bands of the various levels of schools on the island. The third echelon gathered representatives of all walks of life on the island, and the fourth was formed from the memberships of art and cultural organizations. The parade column passed the reviewing stands with banners, flags, and streamers flying, marching to the music of the numerous school bands.
The erect posture, precision movements, and vitality of the marching troupes of military cadets displayed the esprit of the nation's armed forces. Their slow, tense parade step and martial spirit reminded us of the first movement of Brahms' First Symphony. In contrast were the smaller and quicker steps of the female cadets—a Strauss waltz.
The presentation was multidimensional. In the paraders, the East and West, old and young, traditional and modernist, all met. A phalanx party or pom-pon girls in red T-shirts and white mini-skirts, blue girdles around their waists, was one of many vivid examples of the young generation. Elderly Taoist priests in yellow robes and dragon and lion dancers were a contrast in earth ages as well as physical presence.
It was about 12 o'clock when the last of the parade units, the Taipei Police Honor Guard and Brass Band and the Swift Thunder Unit (a police quick-reaction force) passed the reviewing stands.
Born in 1911, the Republic of China has passed through decades of bloody struggle, gathering experience, strength, and confidence along the way. Celebrating its birthday on October 10, 1983, it enjoyed a pause in its shouldered mission of pioneering future paths for the Chinese people, taking time out for a festive joining of hands before another year of endeavor.