Taiwan Retrocession Day 臺灣光復節

When is Taiwan Retrocession Day in Taiwan?

October 25th (celebrated as a holiday on October 24th in 2025).

The Origins and Significance of Taiwan Retrocession Day and the Battle of Guningtou:

Retrocession Day

Taiwan’s Retrocession Day, also known as “Glorious Recovery Day,” is celebrated on October 25th to commemorate Taiwan’s recovery from Japanese rule in 1945. The day marks the formal surrender of Japanese forces in Taiwan, with a ceremony held at Taipei City Hall. Taiwan became a part of the Republic of China, and the Taiwan Provincial Government officially began its operations. The holiday was later designated as Taiwan’s Retrocession Day in 1946. However, in 2000, the government removed it as a public holiday, but it was reinstated as a public holiday in 2025. Despite its historical significance, many Taiwanese people today view the day with indifference since shortly after the ROC took Taiwan, there were military crackdowns, and martial law was imposed, known as the White Terror.

The Battle of Guningtou

The Battle of Guningtou is also celebrated on October 25th. It was one of the largest and perhaps the important fights that fended off the PRC invasion in Kinmen and Taiwan. It began with thousands of communist troops boarding ships and invading Kinmen, gaining ground quickly. However, the PRC troops were pushed back and captured, proving to be an important victory for the ROC army and preventing the PRC from advancing to Taiwan. Check out our full blog on the Battle of Guningtou here.

During the Chinese Civil War, Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalist ROC forces started to withdraw to Taiwan. According to the PRC strategy, Kinmen and Matsu had to be taken before an attack on Taiwan. The PRC originally thought that there were only 2,000 troops on Kinmen, but in reality, there were 40,000 troops, as well as air and sea support. The PLA sent 19,000 troops to Kinmen, which were supposed to take the island in a number of days.
On October 26th, 1949, the initial wave of PRC troops was shot up by the ROC, and many of their wooden boats were destroyed, but they were able to push their way into Guningtou with help from a second wave of reinforcements. In total, only 9,000 of the original 19,000 troops landed on Kinmen. The next day, a bloody battle was fought in the village of Guningtou, and with the help of air support, the PRC forces were pushed back to the beach. By the third day, all of the PRC troops had surrendered, proving ultimate victory for the ROC army in the battle.  In total, 1,267 ROC troops were killed, 3,873 PRC soldiers were killed, and 5,175 were captured. 
For more information regarding the battle, see the Wikipedia article here. 

The outcome of the battle proved to be a morale boost for ROC troops that had been losing over and over to PRC forces on the mainland. It effectively stopped the PRC from advancing toward the invasion of Taiwan, because in 1950, the Korean War started, demanding much of their manpower, buying time until the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty was signed in 1955, offering protection by the United States against the PRC invasion of Taiwan. Because of this, the battle laid the groundwork for the status quo between China and Taiwan as we know it today.

Controversy

Some people, especially in Taiwan’s pan-green political camp, do not think that Taiwan’s retrocession was a good thing. Some would argue that Taiwan was ambiguously handed over to the Republic of China by the Allies after WWII, with the status of Taiwan actually being undetermined. Taiwan should have had the right to be governed by its own people and decide its own destiny. The White Terror and martial law that followed after the Republic of China took control of Taiwan are condemned by all.

What do people do on Retrocession Day in Taiwan?

Taiwan Retrocession Day in the past was celebrated by only a few festivals and parades. Sometimes on this day, the president of Taiwan may also visit Kinmen to commemorate the Battle of Guningtou. However, for most people, this holiday has never been celebrated before. However, starting in 2025, everyone gets the day off from work and school.

Traveling, shopping, Visiting Family, etc.

Taiwan Retrocession Day is, after all, a national holiday, so workers have an extended weekend off to travel, including international travel, as well as shop, visit family, eat out at restaurants, see movies, etc.

My Experience as a Foreigner During Taiwan Retrocession Day in Taiwan:

I have never celebrated Taiwan’s Retrocession Day. But I do like that this holiday also celebrates the Battle of Guningtou. I have visited the Battle of Guningtou Museum in Kinmen. I was amazed to learn that the PRC tried to invade Kinmen, sending thousands of soldiers to the island, and was defeated.

What was arguably the most important battle of Taiwan’s history. If the ROC had lost this battle, there is a chance that the PRC could have advanced further and invaded Taiwan, and Taiwan might not have turned into the vibrant democratic nation it is today.

That being said, it seems like the PLA had no technology or strategy for amphibious assault at that time, so taking back Taiwan would have been a long shot even if they did capture Kinmen.

Tips For Travelling During the Taiwan Retrocession Holiday in Taiwan:

• The airports can be packed, and flights will usually be more expensive.
• The roads will be jammed going south on the first day and jammed going north on the last day.
• It may be hard to book train tickets during the holiday.
• Hotels will be more expensive than normal. Every day will be like a Saturday night price.
• Camping spots should stay the same price.
• Tourist spots may be packed with people.

You can also check out our full guide to the Children’s Day Holiday here.

Thanks for reading! For more festivals and activities in Taiwan, check out our full Taiwan Festival Guide here.

Check out our full guide to Taiwan here.