Less is more: Fewer Taipei 101 fireworks, but longer display

少即是多：台北101煙火數量減少，但展演時間延長

Out of pollution concerns, Taipei 101 fireworks for New Year's Eve will be reduced, but show will be extended and include huge LED display


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The amount of fireworks launched from Taipei 101 at its New Year's Eve display this year will be reduced due to pollution concerns, however the pyrotechnic display will be the longest in the history of the skyscraper and will be augmented with an elaborate LED light show.

This year's show will see the number of fireworks cut nearly in half, from 30,000 last year, to 16,000 this year, announced Taipei 101 spokesman Michael Liu (劉家豪) on Tuesday (Dec. 19).

However the fireworks will last a full six minutes (360 seconds), more than two minutes longer than last year's pyrotechnic display.

This year's light display will be much larger than last year's as well, with 140,000 LED lights covering the tower's exterior from the 35th floor and going all the way up to the 90th.

Liu estimated the cost of the event at NT$60 million (US$1.99 million), with the fireworks and the LED display each taking one half into account.

The theme for this year’s light and fireworks show is "Happy Together" (幸福共好), and Taipei 101 released a 30 second video simulation of the planned show on Wednesday (Dec. 13), which can be seen below.



The annual pyrotechnic extravaganza is watched by millions, including overseas visitors who flock from around the world to join in the countdown. Last year's Taipei 101 fireworks frenzy lasted lasted nearly four minutes and involved the launching of 20,000 fireworks at the stroke of midnight, along with a first-time light show orchestrated by 800 lights and special effects around the building.

The size and length of the fireworks show has varied from year to year, with a 35 second display in 2005 to mark the grand opening of Taipei 101 and 288 second show in 2010-2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China.


2015 Taipei 101 New Year's Eve Fireworks Show (By CinemaxGraphic)

Out of concerns over pollution, Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) announced Dec. 15 that the city’s official New Year’s Eve events would not feature any fireworks in an attempt at fighting air pollution. Instead, the Lihpao Land Amusement Park (麗寶樂園) in the city's Houli District will have live performances by a number of Taiwanese pop singers and a light show that integrated the latest augmented reality technology create virtual images with realistic scenes around it's Sky Dream Ferris wheel. there will also be a snow making machine deployed to create a winter atmosphere.

The cities of New Taipei, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, discontinued their fireworks displays a number of years ago. However, there are still a number of locations around Taiwan were pyrotechnic shows are put on for New Year's Eve, primarily at amusement parks.