Giant Taiwan flag flies freely on National Day
By Ann Wang, Yi-Chin Lee and Fabian Hamacher / Reuters, TAIPEI
Largely banned from display internationally due to Beijing’s objections, a giant Taiwanese flag suspended under a US-made Chinook helicopter and flown over Taipei is one of the most eye-catching moments of Double Ten National Day.
Since 2019, as a way to boost unity amid rising Chinese pressure, the military has every year flown a massive flag beneath one of its tandem-rotor Chinook CH-47SD helicopters over the Presidential Office Building in Taipei while the national anthem is sung during Oct. 10 National Day celebrations.
President William Lai (賴清德) is to give a keynote address mid-morning today, laying out policy objectives and addressing relations with China.
A soldier watches as two US-made Chinook helicopters carry giant Taiwanese flags during a rehearsal ahead of Double Ten National Day celebrations in Taipei on Tuesday.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
China has ratcheted up efforts to stop countries engaging with Taipei, including preventing Taiwan’s flag from being displayed at sports events such as the Olympics.
One of the helicopter pilots taking part in rehearsals this week, 40-year-old Lin Chang-cheng (林昶成), said that the flag is a “concrete symbol of national sovereignty.”
“This is especially true given that we have actually suffered a lot of suppression in the international community, so when we see the national flag being displayed, it’s an extremely moving moment,” Lin said at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport).
Military personnel prepare a giant Taiwanese flag to be attached to a US-made Chinook helicopter during a rehearsal ahead of Double Ten National Day celebrations in Taipei on Tuesday.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
National Day is held on the anniversary of a 1911 uprising that led to the overthrow of China’s last imperial dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC).
The ROC government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) communists, who proclaimed the People’s Republic of China.
Suspended from a long, weighted cable beneath the helicopter, the 12m-by-18m ROC flag is made out of the same tough, lightweight material used for parachutes.
While the flag is a contested symbol even within Taiwan, especially for those who champion an entirely separate identity from China, catching sight of it flying over Taipei is exciting for those watching from the city’s hills.
“When I see the Taiwan flag, I feel that it represents freedom, democracy and freedom of speech,” said Hsiao Shao-chun, 44, watching rehearsals on Taipei’s outskirts.
During the Cold War, National Day celebrations in Taiwan were heavily military focused, with speeches about “retaking the mainland.”
These days, the event is more about showcasing Taiwan’s soft power and global visibility.
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