For thirty minutes, under the sunny sun, the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, rehearsed for the war.
The presidential alerts began to sound on mobile phones at 1:30 pm on Thursday throughout the city with more than two million inhabitants: “Missile attack. Seek immediate shelter.”
Then came the aerial attack sirens, which echoed in queues of concrete apartment blocks and office towers. The shrill and threatening sound is immediately recognizable and, for anyone who has lived the real experience, is to turn the bowels.
Police, with high whistles, began shouting and ordering all traffic to touch. Drivers had to abandon cars in the intermittent traffic lights and look for shelter. The buses were stopped and empty in the midst of normally moved streets.
Civil Protection volunteers with yellow vests guided people to shelters, cellars and underground shopping centers.
The MRT – the gleaming and air -conditioned Taipé metro system – continued to work, although passengers were advised to remain on the platforms.
At the ground, the city has emptied itself. Companies have closed the doors and customers and employees saw the streets empty in seconds. It almost looked like he had traveled in time for the worst days of the coronavirus pandemic.
The reason for this annual exercise is the silent but always present threat of an attack or invasion by Taiwan’s neighboring giant to the north. The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be taken by force if necessary.
Although the democratic Taiwan is long used to these threats, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the increasingly shrill rhetoric of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and the conflict in the Middle East have evidenced what may be at stake if peace fails.
“I feel nervous when I hear the siren. Although China has always been present, when the sirens play, it reminds me of this great threat that is by our side,” says Carl Chu, a resident of Taipé. “War can happen at any time. We have to take our own responsibility, be prepared and know how to protect us.”
Jessica Fang, another resident of Taipé, added: “Many used to see these exercises as a worldly routine. But because of what happened in Ukraine and Israel, this year seems closer to home. War can happen, we want to be prepared for this possibility. These exercises make us take things more seriously.”
Rescuers and volunteers are housed during an air attack exercise under the Han Kuang annual military exercises in Taipei, Taiwan, on July 17, 2025. Ritchie B Tongo/EPA/Shutterstock
For the first time this year, Taiwan combined his two main Civil Protection exercises, Wan An and Min An, in a single rehearsal on the entire island: the 2025 urban resilience exercise, performed in conjunction with Han Kuang 41, the largest military simulation of the island.
This year’s exercises last ten days, double the previous ones. The calendar is not by chance. The tensions with Beijing remain high. Although the polls suggested that most Taiwanese do not believe in the imminence of an invasion, the government is preparing with attention and urgency.
In addition to sirens and evacuations, the exercise included mass accident simulations and emergency provisions. In Neihu, outside the Tri-Service General Hospital, the military staged a live reaction to an alleged missile attack. Doctors with full protective equipment dealt with simulated victims while nearby roads were isolated.
In Taiwan, more than 22,000 reservists, about 50% more than last year, are involved in scenarios ranging from urban combat to cyber defense.
In recent days, the soldiers have performed exercises on meter tunnels and exhibition rooms, converting civil infrastructures into test battlefields.
The Ministry of Defense has emphasized both military readiness and public involvement, including new sensitization initiatives for foreigners in Taiwan, with English instructions that explain what to do and where to go.
The government is also asking citizens to discharge shelters, learn the evacuation routes and recognize the different sounds of the sirens.
When the emergency sirens finally sounded, Taipé quickly returned to normal.
In seconds, traffic and pawns returned to the streets, while people continued their days and tried to overcome the warmth and humidity of summer. Most believe that the next time listening to the sirens will be another exercise.
But nowadays, no one can be sure.
