Minguo vs Gregorian: Why Taiwan Runs Two Calendars

Taiwan uses the Minguo (ROC) calendar for official dating and the Gregorian calendar for almost everything else. Both describe the same day — today is Minguo 115 and 2026 at once, because Minguo year 1 is 1912.

The same calendar, a different starting point

The Minguo calendar is not a separate calendar system with its own months or days — it is the Gregorian calendar with the year renumbered from a different starting point: 1912, the founding of the Republic of China, is Minguo year 1. Every month, day and leap-year rule is identical between the two.

Formula	Minguo year = Gregorian year − 1911
Example	2026 − 1911 = 115  ·  115 + 1911 = 2026
Reference point	Minguo year 1 = 1912 (founding of the Republic of China)

Convert any year with the ROC year converter.

Where each calendar is used

Government-issued documents — ID cards, permits, licences, certificates, official letters, tax filings and court papers — default to Minguo years, as covered across this site's document guides. Meanwhile, most digital systems, international business, media, and everyday spoken references to "this year" default to the Gregorian year. It is entirely normal for a resident of Taiwan to write "115" on a form in the morning and say "2026" in conversation an hour later — both are correct, for their context.

Why the Minguo calendar has stuck around

Calendar eras tied to a founding date or a ruler's reign are a long-standing convention across East Asia; Japan's era-name system and Thailand's Buddhist Era both work on the same principle of renumbering years from a fixed reference point rather than replacing the underlying solar calendar. Taiwan adopted the Republic of China's founding as its reference point in 1912, and government use of that count has continued since, alongside the Gregorian calendar for international and everyday purposes. Neither calendar has replaced the other; they run in parallel, each used where convention and law call for it.

Not the lunar calendar

A common point of confusion: the Minguo calendar is unrelated to the Chinese lunar calendar used for Lunar New Year and traditional festivals. The Minguo calendar is solar, with the same fixed months and days as the Gregorian calendar. The lunar calendar follows the moon's phases and a separate leap-month system, which is why festival dates shift each year relative to the Gregorian calendar. See when is Lunar New Year for how that separate system works.

Elsewhere in the region

If you split time between Taiwan and neighbouring countries, you'll meet other year-numbering systems doing the same job differently: Japan's era calendar and Thailand's Buddhist Era both offset the Gregorian year by a fixed amount, the way Minguo does, just from different starting points.

This page describes the calendar systems in general use. It is not a substitute for checking the specific format required on any document you are completing.

Frequently asked questions

What year is it in the Minguo calendar right now?

Minguo (ROC) year 115, which runs alongside 2026 in the Gregorian calendar. Minguo year 1 corresponds to 1912, so the formula is Gregorian year minus 1911.

Why does Taiwan use two calendars instead of one?

The Minguo calendar is the official calendar used to number years on government documents, dating from the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. The Gregorian calendar is used for nearly everything else — international business, most digital systems, and everyday speech — so both stay in active use side by side.

Are the months and days different in the Minguo calendar?

No. The Minguo calendar uses the same months, days, weekdays and leap-year rule as the Gregorian calendar. Only the year number differs — it is not a separate lunar or solar calendar system.

Is the Minguo calendar the same as the Chinese lunar calendar?

No, these are unrelated systems that both exist in Taiwan. The Minguo calendar is a solar calendar identical in structure to the Gregorian calendar, just with a different year count. The Chinese lunar calendar is used separately for traditional festivals such as Lunar New Year and follows its own lunar-solar rules.

Do other countries use a similar system?

Yes. Japan uses era names tied to the reigning emperor, and Thailand uses the Buddhist Era, which is 543 years ahead of the Gregorian year. Each system counts years from a different reference point while using the same underlying solar calendar structure.