The Republic of China (Taiwan) celebrates its 115th National Day on Saturday, October 10. Celebrations were held in front of the Presidential Office, featuring military parades, aerial displays and cultural performances.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) delivered his third National Day address since taking office at a rally held in front of the Presidential Office on Saturday, October 10. In the speech, titled Taiwan’s Future: A City upon a Hill, the Salt and Light of the World, Lai stated that despite facing war and authoritarian expansion, Taiwan will uphold peace as its mission, serving as a reliable and stabilizing force in the international community. President Lai emphasized that this 115th National Day marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's direct presidential election. Thirty years ago, facing the threat of missiles, the Taiwanese public bravely went to the polls, using votes to tell the world that the future of Taiwan must be decided by its people. Lai pointed out that the past year has not been peaceful. In an era of war and rapid changes in the global order, he stated that Taiwan does not seek hegemony, nor does it pursue dominating others, because it deeply understands the cost of conflict. Taiwan cherishes peace but will not relinquish freedom, is willing to engage in exchanges but will not accept belittling, and will take firm and responsible actions to safeguard the peaceful and stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, he said. The president elaborated that the government's increased defense investment is not for provocation, but to deter war; strengthening Taiwan's self-defense is not abandoning dialogue, but ensuring that dialogue is conducted on the basis of parity and dignity. He underscored that Taiwan welcomes international communication to reduce the risk of conflict, but will never allow the distortion of history. With local elections at the end of the year, President Lai stated that political parties can compete and opinions can differ, but Taiwan should not be divided as a result. He assured the public that he will govern pragmatically, striving to build a unified city upon a hill. Lai said that, with unwavering democracy and defense capabilities, Taiwan can become the salt of the earth that preserves peace as well as the light that warms the world with its innovation, equality, and goodwill. He closed the address saying that he looks forward to working with the people of the nation to lay a more solid foundation for Taiwan's next 30 years.
Join hosts Amanda Stephens and Wanson Wang, along with interpreter Erin Lee, for live coverage of the 2026 Taiwan National Day Ceremony on October 10! Tune in from 10 a.m. (UTC+8) as they watch the opening program and bring you translations of speeches by President Lai Ching-te and other government officials. For Rti English's full coverage of Taiwan's National Day, visit https://doubleten2026.rti.org.tw/en/ To keep watching the livestream after 11 a.m., please head to Rti's Chinese Service feed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX4aliZiKiE
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Wednesday attended the opening of a light show projected onto the Presidential Office Building, marking the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. The 2026 National Day Presidential Office Building light show, titled “Democratic Taiwan: Heartbeat of the World,” is being staged along Ketagalan Boulevard from October 7-10. The National Cultural Association of Taiwan (NCAT) is organizing the event under the guidance of the Presidential Office. Special guests including 2024 RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Nymphia Wind, fire juggler and 2026 Britain’s Got Talent finalist Yang Li-wei (楊立微), and Deputy Leader of Coming True Fire Group, Lai Kuan-zhi (賴寬誌) attended the event. In remarks at the lighting ceremony, Lai said voters have cast more than 100 million ballots since Taiwan’s first direct presidential election in 1996. If stacked together, the ballots would reach nearly three times the height of Yushan, Taiwan’s highest mountain. Lai emphasized that one person’s strength may appear small, but the choices of 23 million people can together create Taiwan’s future. “Each of us is a builder of Taiwan's democracy!” he said. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the Presidential Office light show. Lai said its themes have expanded from film, television, literature and photography to national defense, sports and daily life, turning the century-old building into a “glowing storybook.” The show runs from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with performances every 30 minutes. Since 2017, it has attracted more than 600,000 visitors to over 300 performances.
