TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The New Taipei City Government will hold a fireworks display lasting 13 minutes and 14 seconds over the Tamsui River on New Year's Eve, with a view to replace the Taipei 101 show as the foremost New Year's event in Taiwan.
During a press conference to announce the pyrotechnics on Tuesday (Nov. 30), New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said that the show will take place at 8:22 p.m. on Dec. 31 over the newly completed working platform of the Danjiang Bridge, CNA reported.
After its completion in 2024, the bridge is expected to become a national landmark, as it will be visible to passengers flying in and out of Taiwan, Hou said. For this reason, the construction site of the 920-meter bridge, which will connect the city’s Bali and Tamsui districts, was selected as the venue for the New Year's event.
The fireworks show will emulate the one over the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia to demonstrate Taiwan’s hope and dreams, according to the mayor.
It will be the first time for the country to shoot off 12-inch firework shells, creating dramatic effects 350 meters in the air and across a kilometer-wide area over the river, the mayor said. More than 10,000 rockets will be fired, and the spectacle will surpass that of Taipei 101's, he added.
The mayor advised the public to watch the fireworks before heading to the capital for Taipei 101's annual display.
The mayor said masking and contract tracing will be required at the entrances to the venue amid concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant, per CNA.
New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi (center) (CNA photo)
