10/10/2026
Good evening, everyone!
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful and fulfilling day. For the volunteers of the TCNT, today has been especially meaningful; a day worth remembering. Once again, we’ve come together, worked side by side, and made this celebration possible through our shared efforts. After all the planning, preparation and hard work, our greatest hope is simply that everyone who took the time to join us in celebrating Taiwan’s Double Ten National Day has had a wonderful time and is leaving with happy memories to treasure.
Today, the gardens were filled with the simple joys of community life: adults chatting and laughing, children running around and playing, and the irresistible aroma of our much-loved, limited-season Taiwanese popcorn chicken drifting through the air, alongside the sweet treats from Taiwanese egg cake stall. These seemingly ordinary moments came together to create something truly special; a little piece of home in a place far from our homeland.
After all, being together doesn’t have to mean being on the soil of our homeland. With familiar flavours, warm laughter and a community willing to make time for one another, even Darwin, thousands of kilometres away in the Southern Hemisphere, can become a place where we share our heritage, celebrate our connections and feel at home.
The children said it best, in their sweet, innocent voices: “I’m Australian! and I’m Taiwanese, too!”
That sentiment lies at the heart of the TCNT’s founding mission: to nurture the seeds of cultural identity with love and acceptance, giving them the confidence to take root and flourish on this Australian continent, thousands of kilometres from Taiwan.
“Bringing our Taiwanese community together in the Northern Territory, celebrating Double Ten as one.” The festivities began with a special appearance by our much-loved guest, Black Bear, who quickly became the centre of attention and brought smiles to faces young and old. Our warm and gracious host, Lisa, then welcomed everyone and set a lively, joyful tone for the day. A wonderful programme of activities followed. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our generous sponsors for their wonderful support and for providing an array of fantastic prizes. Their contributions made the lucky draws throughout the programme even more exciting, with plenty of surprises and enthusiastic applause along the way.
As the day came to a joyful close, we hope everyone took home more than memories of the performances and festivities. May what stays with you be the deep connection to our heritage, the warmth of our community and the sense of belonging that brings us together.
Here in the Northern Territory, it is through the kindness, generosity and collective efforts of everyone who joins us that the warmth of our homeland can be passed on from one generation to the next.
Thank you to every member of our Taiwanese community and every friend who came along and helped make this celebration so special. May we carry today’s warmth and pride with us as we look forward to meeting again and continuing to write the vibrant story of the Taiwanese community here in the Southern Hemisphere.
May Taiwan enjoy peace and prosperity, and may its people live in harmony and abundance.
Happy Birthday, Taiwan!🇹🇼
