Republic of China calendar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Republic of China calendar
A calendar with both Western and Chinese calendar dates commemorating the first year of the Republic of China, as well as the election of Sun Yat-sen as the provisional President of the Republic of China
Traditional Chinese	中華民國曆
Simplified Chinese	中华民国历
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōnghuá Mínguó lì Wade–Giles Chung1-hua2 Min2-kuo2 li4 Hakka Romanization Chûng-fà Mìn-koet la̍k Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tiong-hoa Bîn-kok le̍k
Minguo calendar
Traditional Chinese	民國紀年
Simplified Chinese	民国纪年
Literal meaning	Republic[an] year numbering system
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Mínguó Jìnián Wade–Giles Min2-kuo2 Chi4-nien2

The Republic of China calendar, also known as the ROC calendar or the Minguo calendar, is a special way of counting years. It is mainly used in Taiwan and nearby islands like Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. This calendar starts its year count from 1912. That year was when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in Nanjing.

The ROC calendar is a bit like old Chinese dynasties used to count years. They would use the name of their ruler's time in power. For the ROC calendar, the months and days follow the same system as the common Gregorian calendar (the one most of the world uses). Since 1912, the ROC calendar has been widely used in official papers and documents in the Republic of China.

Today, it is the official calendar in Taiwan since 1945. Many Overseas Chinese and Taiwanese people living in other countries also use it. Even some historical books in mainland China that talk about the years between 1912 and 1949 use the ROC calendar.

How the Calendar Works

The Gregorian calendar was officially adopted by the new Republic of China on January 1, 1912. However, most people still used the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar for a while. There was some confusion about which calendar to use between 1916 and 1921. This was because different groups were fighting for control in China.

Later, from 1921 to 1928, the Kuomintang government in southern China used the Gregorian calendar. After they took full control in 1928, the Gregorian calendar became the official one from January 1, 1929. The People's Republic of China has continued to use the Gregorian calendar since 1949.

Year Numbering System

Even with the Gregorian calendar, people still needed a way to number the years. In the past, Chinese rulers used their era name and the year of their rule. For example, the 10th year of Emperor Kangxi's rule. Some people in the early 1900s wanted a year system that didn't depend on a ruler.

When Sun Yat-sen became the first temporary president of the Republic of China, he announced that January 1, 1912, would be the first year of the Republic of China. The idea was to keep the tradition of numbering years from a major event. Since there was no longer an emperor, they decided to use the founding year of the new government. This helped avoid changing the calendar often, as emperors' reigns could be long or short.

The Chinese characters Chinese: 民國 (Mínguó), which means "Republic," are used as a short form for Chinese: 中華民國 (Zhōnghuá Mínguó), meaning "Republic of China." The first year, 1912, is called Chinese: 民國元年 (Mínguó Yuánnián). To find the current ROC year, you just subtract 1911 from the regular year. For example, if it's 2024, then 2024 - 1911 = 113. So, it's the 113th year of the Republic.

The ROC year numbering is actually the same as the Juche calendar in North Korea. This is because Kim Il Sung, who founded North Korea, was born in 1912. Also, the years of Japan's Taishō era (from 1912 to 1926) match the ROC years.

Even though the Minguo calendar is official, people in Taiwan still use the lunar Chinese calendar for some things. This includes figuring out dates for many holidays, calculating people's traditional ages, and for religious events.

Why Use It?

The ROC calendar system is used for more than just official papers. Sometimes, if the "ROC" or "Minguo" part is left out, it can cause confusion about the year.

Some political groups in Taiwan, like the Democratic Progressive Party, have suggested getting rid of the ROC calendar. They want to use only the Gregorian calendar for everything.

Converting to the Gregorian Calendar

It's easy to change a Gregorian calendar year (from 1912 onwards) to an ROC calendar year. You just subtract 1911 from the Gregorian year.

For example:

• 1912 AD is ROC year 1 (1912 - 1911 = 1)
• 1920 AD is ROC year 9 (1920 - 1911 = 9)
• 1945 AD is ROC year 34 (1945 - 1911 = 34)
• 1970 AD is ROC year 59 (1970 - 1911 = 59)
• 2000 AD is ROC year 89 (2000 - 1911 = 89)
• 2024 AD is ROC year 113 (2024 - 1911 = 113)

See also

In Spanish: Calendario de la República de China para niños

• Chinese era name
• East Asian age reckoning
• Public holidays in Taiwan
• Juche calendar
• Taishō era