TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 15-meter tall Tsum Tsum sculpture featured in Tainan’s “Mickey and Friends Chill in Taiwan” event accidently burst while being inflated on Tuesday evening (Sept. 13).
CNA reported that the sculpture, which made its debut on Friday (Sept. 9), had been deflated on Sunday (Sept. 11) ahead of Typhoon Muifa’s approach to Taiwan. As the weather became better in south Taiwan, the Tainan City Government decided to reinflate it ahead of schedule.
However, while it was being inflated, one of the eight characters — Chip, located at the top of the sculpture — burst unexpectedly. A staff member of the Tainan Tourism Bureau said the accident occurred because technicians rushed the operation.
The incident caused a stir among spectators, who were allowed to watch the process and take photos. The event’s organizer arranged for the sculpture to be repaired overnight.
On Wednesday morning (Sept. 14), Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) wrote in a Facebook post, “Good morning Tainan, I’m back!” and shared a photo of the inflated Tsum Tsum. He added, “Chip has been revived in full health!”
As one of the main features of “Mickey and Friends Chill in Taiwan,” the floating Tsum Tsum sculpture that measures 15 m tall and weighs approximately 600 kilograms attracted over 150,000 visitors over the Mid-Autumn Festival weekend. Even after the long weekend, it continued to attract over 3,000 visitors daily.
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che announces that the sculpture has been repaired. (Facebook, Huang Wei-che photo)