100th Anniversary of the Republic of China
Encyclopedia
The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China began on October 10, 2011 on the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution
. It was celebrated in Taiwan
and mainland China
, but the meaning of the celebration varies differently by region.
was launched as part of the Xinhai Revolution to overthrow the Qing
, the last imperial dynasty in China. This ended imperial rule that lasted more than 2,000 years. The Republic of China would be established in 1912. Since then, the revolution has been celebrated on Double Ten Day
. After the Chinese Civil war
the nationalist Kuomintang
would be relocated to Taiwan island, and the Communist Party of China
would establish the People's Republic of China
in 1949 on mainland. In the PRC October 10 is not formally considered the National Day, as it usually celebrate its own National day
on 1 October.
of 2011, a large celebration already took place at Keelung River
. About 850,000 people celebrated at Xinyi District including NT$60 million worth of fireworks.
The Double Ten day official ceremony began in the morning of October 10, 2011 where a flag raising ceremony was held. Subsequent activities were followed including a military parade involving more than 1,000 military personnel, 71 aircraft and 168 vehicles. The personnel number is however much smaller than celebrations in the past. The slogan of the ceremony is "Republic of China, Splendid 100" (中華民國，精彩一百).
President Ma Ying-jeou
made a national day address speech. He urged Beijing to pursue democracy and "face the existence of the Republic of China". Over 50 delegations and 1,500 distinguished guests representing ROC diplomatic allies visited Taiwan during the celebration. Many notables including US Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld
, Japanese Prime Minister
Taro Aso
and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
were in attendance. Japan sent a delegation with record setting numbers.
There were also 5634 people who married exactly on the 100th anniversary, at October 10th, 10 minutes of 10 am. This is two times more than 2010 and 18 times more than the average.
in Beijing. The event was attended by all nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee
of the Central Committee
. The event was attended by president Hu Jintao
as well as Jiang Zemin
. Hu gave a 20 minute speech that emphasized Chinese reunification
. The ceremony then lasted 40 minutes featuring a giant portrait of Sun Yat-sen
supported by 10 PRC flags
.
In Wuhan
the government officials spent 43 million yuan in restoring three 1911 heritage sites. But they were careful in not letting the celebration outshine the 90th anniversary of the Communist party that took place in July. In addition from August 27 to October 10 Wuhan was reinforced with thousands of officers including 100 paramilitary police and 200 special police armed with submachine guns on street duty with 250,000 surveillance cameras. The celebration is generally referred to as "100th anniversary of Xinhai Revolution". Since January 2011 Guangzhou
held its own celebrations to commemorate the Guangzhou uprisings. At the Guangdong museum of revolutionary history
separate celebrations were held in October 2011. In the PRC, the event is not referred to as the "100th anniversary of the Republic of China", but the "100th anniversary of Xinhai Revolution".
and the Taiwan government also aligned for a three part special show. In Macau
a tour of Dr Sun revolutionary trail was launched for the 100th anniversary. Hong Kong Post
also launched Centenary Xinhai Revolution stamps.
forces as exploiting Sun Yat-sen to intensify measures against independence forces. Taiwan aboriginal rights activists of the Sediq National Assembly who represent the Atayal people announced a headhunt against the ROC government. The headhunts usually get rid of evil spirits. The activists mainly said the ROC government is like the Japanese Colonial Government that preceded it who took their land and resources. The Indigeonous People's Coalition said there is nothing to celebrate as the aboriginals have suffered under the government. They performed their own mgaya ceremony. Some have said the ROC government is a "Chinese government in exile
" and should be out of Taiwan. But Pan-green DPP
candidate Tsai Ing-wen
said "The ROC is Taiwan, Taiwan is the ROC" for the first time in her career.
. But it was banned by the Communist Youth League
. The Dr. Sun opera about a love story between Soong Ching-ling
and Sun was supposed to have a world premiere at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing on September 30. It was canceled for "logistics reasons".
of Sun Yat-sen involving nationalism, livelihood and democracy, only nationalism is emphasized in the PRC. There have been criticism that the PRC need to spend more money on its poor, sick and elderly. As 90% of the wealth in the PRC belong to Communist party members according to the 2011 Chinese forbes billionaires list. Activist Wang Dan
criticized the PRC government to be celebrating democracy is ironic.
is played, and the ROC anthem never played.
For the preparation of the anniversary, new songs were made and chosen to commemorate the founding of the ROC. One of the requirement is that the composer be an ROC citizen. But according to legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) the songs available for voting may not have been from ROC citizens as the evaluation was sloppy.
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
. It was celebrated in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, but the meaning of the celebration varies differently by region.
Background
On 10 October 1911 the Wuchang UprisingWuchang Uprising
The Wuchang Uprising began with the dissatisfaction of the handling of a railway crisis. The crisis then escalated to an uprising where the revolutionaries went up against Qing government officials. The uprising was then assisted by the New Army in a coup against their own authorities in the city...
was launched as part of the Xinhai Revolution to overthrow the Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, the last imperial dynasty in China. This ended imperial rule that lasted more than 2,000 years. The Republic of China would be established in 1912. Since then, the revolution has been celebrated on Double Ten Day
Double Ten Day
Double Ten Day is the national day of the Republic of China and celebrates the start of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in China and establishment of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912...
. After the Chinese Civil war
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
the nationalist Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
would be relocated to Taiwan island, and the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
would establish the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1949 on mainland. In the PRC October 10 is not formally considered the National Day, as it usually celebrate its own National day
National Day of the People's Republic of China
The National Day of the People's Republic of China is celebrated every year on October 1. It is a public holiday in the People's Republic of China to celebrate their national day.The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square...
on 1 October.
Celebration
Taiwan
On December 31, 2010, the New Year's EveNew Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
of 2011, a large celebration already took place at Keelung River
Keelung River
Keelung River is a river in northern Taiwan.The Keelung River originates in the mountains west-northwest of the town of Jingtong in Pingxi District, New Taipei City, flows down to a rift valley and then flows ENE to Sandiaoling...
. About 850,000 people celebrated at Xinyi District including NT$60 million worth of fireworks.
The Double Ten day official ceremony began in the morning of October 10, 2011 where a flag raising ceremony was held. Subsequent activities were followed including a military parade involving more than 1,000 military personnel, 71 aircraft and 168 vehicles. The personnel number is however much smaller than celebrations in the past. The slogan of the ceremony is "Republic of China, Splendid 100" (中華民國，精彩一百).
President Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
made a national day address speech. He urged Beijing to pursue democracy and "face the existence of the Republic of China". Over 50 delegations and 1,500 distinguished guests representing ROC diplomatic allies visited Taiwan during the celebration. Many notables including US Defense Secretary
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
, Japanese Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Taro Aso
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus was President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009.In Lithuania, the President's tenure lasts for five years; Adamkus' first term in office began on February 26, 1998 and ended on February 28, 2003, following his defeat by Rolandas Paksas in the next...
were in attendance. Japan sent a delegation with record setting numbers.
There were also 5634 people who married exactly on the 100th anniversary, at October 10th, 10 minutes of 10 am. This is two times more than 2010 and 18 times more than the average.
PRC
The 100th anniversary ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the PeopleGreat Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People is located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square, Beijing, People's Republic of China, and is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China. It functions as the People's Republic of China's...
in Beijing. The event was attended by all nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee
Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China
The Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Communist Party of China, whose membership varies between 5 and 9 people. The inner workings of the PSC are not well known, although it is believed that decisions of the PSC are...
of the Central Committee
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is the highest authority within the Communist Party of China. Its approximately 350 members and alternates are selected once every five years by the National Party Congress....
. The event was attended by president Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
as well as Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
. Hu gave a 20 minute speech that emphasized Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification
Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...
. The ceremony then lasted 40 minutes featuring a giant portrait of Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...
supported by 10 PRC flags
Flag of the People's Republic of China
The flag of the People's Republic of China is a red field charged in the canton with five golden stars. The design features one large star, with four smaller stars in a semicircle set off towards the fly...
.
In Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
the government officials spent 43 million yuan in restoring three 1911 heritage sites. But they were careful in not letting the celebration outshine the 90th anniversary of the Communist party that took place in July. In addition from August 27 to October 10 Wuhan was reinforced with thousands of officers including 100 paramilitary police and 200 special police armed with submachine guns on street duty with 250,000 surveillance cameras. The celebration is generally referred to as "100th anniversary of Xinhai Revolution". Since January 2011 Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
held its own celebrations to commemorate the Guangzhou uprisings. At the Guangdong museum of revolutionary history
Guangdong museum of revolutionary history
Guangdong museum of revolutionary history is a museum established in 1959 in Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. It is located at the site of former Guangdong Advisory Bureau in the Second Guangzhou Uprising Martyrs Cemetery.-History:...
separate celebrations were held in October 2011. In the PRC, the event is not referred to as the "100th anniversary of the Republic of China", but the "100th anniversary of Xinhai Revolution".
Culture
In 2010 one of the main anniversary event was to make a film on the life of Sun Yat-sen shot in places where he lived and worked, including Britain, Singapore, Japan and Hawaii. The government provided NT$20 million for the film. Movies such as 1911 were also made for the 100th anniversary. The discovery channelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
and the Taiwan government also aligned for a three part special show. In Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
a tour of Dr Sun revolutionary trail was launched for the 100th anniversary. Hong Kong Post
Hong Kong Post
Hong Kong Post is a Japanese-language weekly newspaper published in Hong Kong every Friday and owned by Mikuni Company. The newspaper first appeared in June 1987. It used to be sold in shops such as c!ty'super, but is now free....
also launched Centenary Xinhai Revolution stamps.
Taiwan green-camp and aboriginal responses
Keynotes made by Hu Jintao were interpreted by Taiwan IndependenceTaiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
forces as exploiting Sun Yat-sen to intensify measures against independence forces. Taiwan aboriginal rights activists of the Sediq National Assembly who represent the Atayal people announced a headhunt against the ROC government. The headhunts usually get rid of evil spirits. The activists mainly said the ROC government is like the Japanese Colonial Government that preceded it who took their land and resources. The Indigeonous People's Coalition said there is nothing to celebrate as the aboriginals have suffered under the government. They performed their own mgaya ceremony. Some have said the ROC government is a "Chinese government in exile
Government in exile
A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...
" and should be out of Taiwan. But Pan-green DPP
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
candidate Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
said "The ROC is Taiwan, Taiwan is the ROC" for the first time in her career.
Bans and censorships
In April 2011 an inter-university debate related to Sun Yat-sen was supposed to be hosted by the Beijing Institute of TechnologyBeijing Institute of Technology
Beijing Institute of Technology , formerly known as 北京工业学院, is a leading public, co-educational, national key university, located in Beijing, China. Established in 1940 in Yan'an , the university used to be administered by the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense...
. But it was banned by the Communist Youth League
Communist Youth League
The Communist Youth League of China also known as the China Youth League is a youth movement of the People's Republic of China for youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight, run by Communist Party of China. The league is organized on the party pattern. Its leader is its First Secretary...
. The Dr. Sun opera about a love story between Soong Ching-ling
Soong Ching-ling
Soong Ching-ling , also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen, was one of the three Soong sisters—who, along with their husbands, were amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century. She was the Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China...
and Sun was supposed to have a world premiere at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing on September 30. It was canceled for "logistics reasons".
PRC 1 out of 3 principles
Despite celebrating the anniversary, of the Three Principles of the PeopleThree Principles of the People
The Three Principles of the People, also translated as Three People's Principles, or collectively San-min Doctrine, is a political philosophy developed by Sun Yat-sen as part of a philosophy to make China a free, prosperous, and powerful nation...
of Sun Yat-sen involving nationalism, livelihood and democracy, only nationalism is emphasized in the PRC. There have been criticism that the PRC need to spend more money on its poor, sick and elderly. As 90% of the wealth in the PRC belong to Communist party members according to the 2011 Chinese forbes billionaires list. Activist Wang Dan
Wang Dan
Wang Dan , a leader of the Chinese democracy movement, was one of the most visible of the student leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Wang holds a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. From August 2009 to February 2010, Wang taught cross-strait history at Taiwan's National...
criticized the PRC government to be celebrating democracy is ironic.
Song issues
During the PRC ceremony in the Great hall of the people, only the national anthem of the People's Republic of China was played. The song was founded 38 years after the 1911 revolution and has nothing to do with the event. A similar case occurred in Hong Kong during TVB's "Variety show Commemorating the Centenary of the 1911 revolution" (百年辛亥 中華總商會111週年文藝匯演), where the PRC national anthemMarch of the Volunteers
March of the Volunteers is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China , written by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. This composition is a musical march...
is played, and the ROC anthem never played.
For the preparation of the anniversary, new songs were made and chosen to commemorate the founding of the ROC. One of the requirement is that the composer be an ROC citizen. But according to legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) the songs available for voting may not have been from ROC citizens as the evaluation was sloppy.