Double Ten Day
The Chinese Ten Ten Festival, also known as Double Ten Day, or the National day of the Republic of China,
is a public holiday celebrated on the 10th of October. It is annually celebrated in the Taiwanese area of the Republic of China (ROC) and is remembered in commemoration of the revolution in 1911.
In Trinidad, Ten-Ten is recognised as Chinese Arrival Day. It is not a public holiday but is widely appreciated.
We at OXIS celebrated this day by dressing in traditional Chinese wear, decorating the hallways with lanterns and hosting a program. The guest speaker, Ms. Mikkal Quan Kep, briefed the learners on the global influence of China. She also gave her experience on going to school in China, and moving there when she was only five years old. Ms. Quan Kep touched on important points such as the education in China, and the Chinese influence in Trinidad and Tobago. We learnt basic phrases such as Nǐ hǎo, Xièxiè, Wǒ jiào and Zàijiàn.
We also learned that Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, and China is the most populated country. Mandarin is the most spoken Chinese language, followed by Cantonese. The difference between the two are the tones.
Fun Fact: The first wave of Chinese immigrants arrived to Trinidad in 1806 on the Fortitude ship. One hundred and ninety two passengers arrived, ranging from cultures like Macao, Penang and Canton.