Sun Yat-sen’s Day: November 12
Sun Yat-sen’s Day is a non-official holiday in Taiwan.
November 12 in Taiwan is a non-official holiday in Taiwan that celebrates the birthday of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1866, who was a leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party and the first President of the Republic of China.
History of Sun Yat-sen’s Day in Taiwan
Sun Yat-sen was born on November 12, 1866 and was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader, sometimes referred to as the Father of the Nation. He was the first provisional president of the Republic of China in 1912, and today he remains a widely revered political figure in both mainland China and Taiwan.
Sun Yat-sen at the early age of 13 went to live in Honolulu with an older brother that by that time was a successful merchant. He studied English and was deeply influenced by his experience in Honolulu and the American culture. When he returned home in 1883, he was troubled by the backward China that he found. He went on to study medicine and became a doctor. During and after the Qing dynasty, he was a leader within the Tiandihui, a secret society. He quit the medical practice and devoted his time to changing China.
He eventually went back to Hawaii where he founded the Revive China Society in 1894. In 1895 a failed coup led him into exile, during which he gathered funds for the revolutionary movement. In 1911, a military uprising at Wuchang led to the end of thousands of years of imperial rule in China. Sun Yat-sen returned from the United States, and on December 29, 1911, he was elected as provisional President of the Republic of China. He set January 1, 1912 as the first day of the first year of the Republic, which is the calendar that still today is followed in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Sun Yat-sen’s Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
This holiday isn’t an official holiday in Taiwan. Most people in Taiwan still revere the memory of Sun Yat-sen for their dedication and attention during his ruling years in the overseas territories of China. Today the day is mainly used as a remembrance in political speeches between mainland China and Taiwan.
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