World · East Asia & Pacific · 1 hr ago
Taiwan Restoration Day marks 81 years since end of Japanese rule
Taiwan marks 81 years since the end of Japanese rule on October 25, the date known as Taiwan Restoration Day.
The anniversary also falls one year after China established a national memorial day for Taiwan's restoration.
Representatives from across Taiwan gather in Taipei each year for a commemoration outside Zhongshan Hall, according to magazine publisher Ji Xin.
She said Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party plays down the event's historical significance and uses the term “end of the war” instead of “restoration.”
Ji says joint commemorations can pass on patriotic values and strengthen recognition of a shared Chinese identity, especially among young people in Taiwan.
She also urged people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work toward national unity, linking that goal to the legacy of Sun Yat-sen, whose 160th birth anniversary is also being marked this year.
Taiwan Restoration Day marks 81 years since Taiwan ended Japanese colonial rule in 1945.
The anniversary falls on October 25, 2026, and is also the first anniversary of the day’s establishment as a national commemorative day, according to China News Service.
Ji Xin, publisher of Taiwan’s Observer magazine, said people from different sectors hold a commemoration each year outside Taipei’s Zhongshan Hall.
She said joint commemorations aim to pass on earlier generations’ patriotism and reinforce recognition that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China.
Ji also said Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party government has promoted what she called “de-Sinicization” and played down the historical significance of Taiwan’s restoration.
- Who
- People from different sectors in Taiwan, including Ji Xin, are involved in commemorations.
- What
- Taiwan Restoration Day marks 81 years since the end of Japanese rule. It is also the first anniversary of the day’s establishment as a national commemorative day.
- When
- October 25, 2026.
- Where
- Taiwan; an annual commemoration is held outside Zhongshan Hall in Taipei.
- Why
- Ji Xin said joint commemorations aim to pass on patriotism and reinforce recognition that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Taiwan ended Japanese colonial rule after the victory in the war against Japan, according to the article.
Representatives from different sectors hold a commemoration outside Zhongshan Hall in Taipei, Ji Xin said.
Taiwan marks the 81st anniversary of its restoration and the first anniversary of Taiwan Restoration Day’s establishment as a national commemorative day.
- Anniversary
- 81 years since the end of Japanese rule
- Date
- October 25, 2026
- Commemoration site
- Outside Zhongshan Hall, Taipei
- National commemorative day
- First anniversary in 2026
- Interviewee
- Ji Xin, publisher of Taiwan’s Observer magazine
1 source
What people are saying
Unity is the hope of all the people of China. If the country can be unified, the whole nation will enjoy happiness; if it cannot be unified, they will suffer.
Jointly commemorating Taiwan’s restoration is about passing on the patriotism of our predecessors and awakening recognition among Taiwan’s people, especially young people, that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belonging to one China is a historical and legal fact.