Talk:Taiwan

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Calendar

Main article: Minguo calendar

See also: Chinese calendar, Holidays in Taiwan, and Public holidays in the Republic of China

The Republic of China uses two official calendars: the Gregorian calendar, and the Minguo calendar. The latter numbers years starting from 1912, the year of the founding of the Republic of China. For example, 2007 is the "96th year of the Republic".^[1]

Months and days are numbered according to the Gregorian calendar. Year numbering may use the Gregorian system as well as the ROC era system. For example, May 3, 2004 may be written 2004-05-03 or 93-05-03. The use of two different calendaring systems in Taiwan may be confusing, in particular for foreigners. For instance, products for export marked using the Minguo calendar can be misunderstood as having an expiration date 11 years earlier than intended.^[2]

Taiwan also uses the lunar calendar for traditional festivals such as the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, and the Dragon Boat Festival.^[3]