An array of performances was held yesterday in front of the Presidential Office building in Taipei to mark the Republic of China’s (ROC) National Day, including the largest-ever ROC national flag flyby with two 18m wide and 12m long flags, each carried by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
National flags used in past Double Ten National Day flybys measured 12m by 8m, the military said.
A total of 48 military aircraft of 12 types took part in flights over the capital.
Photo: CNA
They included AH-64E, AH-1W and UH-60M helicopters, as well as F-16Vs, Mirage-2000s and domestically made Indigenous Defense Fighters, the military said.
On the ground, a parade to showcase the military’s capability to defend Taiwan was held — featuring the nation’s major missile systems, including domestically made Hsiung Feng III and Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missiles, as well as Tien Kung III surface-to-air missiles.
The most noteworthy weapon system on display was the land-based versions of the Tien Chien II surface-to-air missile, which was displayed in truck-mounted sealed container-launchers.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
For the parade’s grand finale, five jet trainers of the air force’s Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team released plumes of blue, red and white smoke, representing the colors of the national flag.
Many viewers noted that this year’s festivities also featured popular songs, in addition to the traditional military marches.
Golden Melody Award winners — including Your Legend (將軍令) by Mayday, Happy Ganjaman (快樂的甘蔗人) by Leo Wang (Leo王) and Thank You (感謝) by Abao (阿爆), winner of last year’s Song of the Year — were among the featured songs.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
The organizers said that the more contemporary choice of music was intended to make the ceremony more lively and relatable, adding that all featured artists had given their consent.
The performances were followed by a street parade honoring the nation’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as COVID-19 responders and rescue teams.
Weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳), who won a gold medal and set three Olympic records at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, served as grand marshal, drawing a warm welcome from the crowd.
Photo: Bloomberg
The athletes were joined by their coaches, all of whom carried national flags.
The General Assembly of Chinese Culture, one of the organizers, said that the parade aimed to honor the nation’s unsung heroes, including healthcare workers, disaster response teams, police officers, military personnel and firefighters.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Photo: CNA
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