The “Celebration of the 115th National Day of the Republic of China and the 12th Flag-Raising Ceremony in Orange County” organized by the Southern California Taiwan University Alumni Association officially kicked off on July 22nd (Wednesday) with a launch meeting and press conference at the Overseas Community Center in Orange County. The event announced that this year’s activities will take place on September 27th (Sunday) at 9:30 a.m. at Mike Ward Community Park in Irvine, marking the beginning of the Double Tenth National Day celebration in Southern California.
Director Xiao Beiru of the Overseas Community Center, along with presidents and representatives from seven co-organizing units, representatives of various performance teams, board members, and volunteer partners numbering over 40 people, gathered to declare the official start of the event, showcasing the unity and cooperation within the overseas community in organizing the National Day celebrations.
The coordinator of the event and former president of the Southern California Taiwan University Alumni Association, Zhang Zhuping, mentioned that the Orange County Flag-Raising Ceremony for the Double Tenth National Day has been held since 2015 and has now entered its 12th year. With the support of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, and the Overseas Community Center in Orange County over the years, combined with the joint efforts of past co-organizing units, senior members of the overseas community, and volunteer partners, the scale of the event has grown each year, becoming one of the most representative Taiwanese American National Day celebrations in Orange County.
Zhang Zhuping introduced that the Orange County Flag-Raising Ceremony is also the first National Day flag-raising event in Southern California each year, symbolizing the official start of the Double Tenth National Day celebrations in Southern California. She hopes that through the flag-raising ceremony, compatriots can gather together, inherit Taiwanese culture, highlight the values of freedom and democracy, and introduce Taiwan to more younger generations and mainstream American society.
This year, the event will be held at the more spacious Mike Ward Community Park and jointly organized by seven co-organizing units. In addition to the solemn flag-raising ceremony, there will be flag teams, ceremonial teams, dragon and lion dances, as well as a performance of the American national anthem and a spectacular show by the Irvine Woodbridge High School Marching Band.
Furthermore, the event will feature diverse art and cultural performances including dance, harmonica, brass band, ukulele, as well as a symbolic peace dove ceremony. This year, a special invitation has been extended to the well-known traditional Taiwanese art group “Guangxingge Hand Puppet Theater” to perform a puppet show, showcasing the traditional cultural characteristics of Taiwan and allowing the public to experience the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Taiwan while celebrating the National Day.
Zhang Zhuping mentioned that this year, peaches of longevity and souvenirs will be prepared to be given to attendees, and there will be a free raffle on-site, offering a variety of prizes and cash awards, with the top prize being a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Taipei provided by China Airlines. Overseas compatriots and community members are warmly welcomed to participate with their families in celebrating the 115th National Day of the Republic of China together. ◇