On October 25, representatives from various Taiwanese civic organizations gathered outside the Memorial to the Victory of the Anti-Japanese War and the Restoration of Taiwan at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei to commemorate the 79th anniversary of Taiwan’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

The event featured slogans such as “Remembering Taiwan’s Restoration, Honoring Our Heroes” and “Defending Peace, Opposing Taiwan Independence.” This day marks the historical event in 1945 when the surrender ceremony for Taiwan occurred at the Taipei Public Hall, which is now known as the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. The following year, October 25 was officially designated as “Taiwan Restoration Day.”

However, since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government removed the public holiday status of Taiwan Restoration Day in December 2000, some younger generations have grown indifferent to its significance. Despite this, numerous civic organizations have maintained the tradition of commemorating this day at the memorial for decades.

On this particular morning, Taipei experienced continuous rain due to the Northeast Monsoon and the outer bands of Typhoon Tammei. Attendees bowed and laid flowers at the memorial despite the challenging weather. Participants joined voices in singing the “Taiwan Restoration Commemorative Song,” created in 1946, with lyrics emphasizing not to forget Taiwan’s restoration.

Labor Party Chairman Wu Rongyuan addressed the crowd, criticizing the DPP’s administration for using “Taiwan independence” as a governing goal, which he believes undermines the historical and legal realities of both sides of the Taiwan Strait being part of one China. “We commemorate Taiwan Restoration Day to uphold historical justice and national integrity, emphasizing that the people of Taiwan should stand firm on the shared identity of one China,” he stated.

Unified Alliance Party Chairman Qi Jialin highlighted the tensions in cross-strait relations and emphasized the importance of recalling the history of Taiwan’s restoration to inspire a collective hope for peaceful reunification.

Among the attendees were many young people. One of them, Chen Chongzhen, expressed concern over the DPP’s alignment with the U.S. and Japan, stating that their ideology has caused a neglect of Taiwan Restoration Day. He underscored the meaningfulness of civic organizations recognizing this day.

Amid the rain, attendees later marched to the office of Taiwan’s regional leader on Kadinglan Avenue to submit a declaration celebrating the 79th anniversary. Passersby stopped to applaud and cheer as they learned about the history of Taiwan’s restoration, and some recorded the procession on their phones.

The declaration asserted, “The restoration of Taiwan solidifies the historical fact of the one China principle and aligns with international law.” It criticized Taiwan’s regional leader Lai Ching-te for his so-called “new two-state theory,” labeling it as a distortion of historical facts and a violation of international law and Taiwan’s current constitutional provisions. The declaration further expressed a desire among the Taiwanese populace for peaceful and stable cross-strait relations, rejecting any notions of military conflict.

The crowd called for the validation of the one China principle and opposed the DPP’s collaboration with external forces concerning Taiwan Strait issues. They urged for early democratic consultations to ensure long-term stability for the region.

As noon approached, the commemorative event concluded, and participants began to disperse. The rain subsided, and rays of sunshine broke through the clouds.