HAPPY NEW YEAR! Taipei 101 welcomes 2019 with stunning fireworks, light show

新年快樂！台北101迎接2019年和驚豔的煙火燈光秀

Taipei 101 ushers in 2019 in Taiwan with a spectacular fireworks and LED light display


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s iconic tower, Taipei 101, marked the entrance of 2019 with the most extravagant fireworks display and light show in the country.

According to the Taipei Financial Center Corp., this year's fireworks extravaganza included 16,000 fireworks shells, which ran for 360 seconds, 60 seconds longer than last year. Taipei 101 had invited international experts from across disciplines to implement this year's show.

This year's animated light show played an even larger role, was more synchronized with the pyrotechnics, and featured nine themes. In the first theme, "Night Market, Famous Food," images of Taiwan's famous pearl milk tea, chicken cutlets, and xiaolongbao were displayed.

The animated light show was made possible by a lighting system consisting of 140,000 LED lights called the T-Pad, which was projected on the outside of Taipei 101 from the 35th to the 90th floors.

Besides the fireworks and light displays at Taipei 101, the countdown party, which lasted from 7 p.m. Monday to 1 a.m. Tuesday, featured the on-stage appearance of celebrities, including the Korean pop group EXID, A-Mei, MJ116, Anna, Ben Wu, Hsieh He-hsian, Lu Kuo-wei, Ting Ting, and others.

To set this year’s event apart from the concerts in the past years, the organizer introduced electroacoustic elements, "inviting DJ Cookie to collaborate with pianist Rueibin Chen in the performance of music combining visual and audio extravagance," according to Taipei’s Department of Information and Tourism (TPEDOIT).

In addition, a "Jazz Night Lounge Party" was held in the Taipei 101 office center from 9 p.m. Dec. 31 to 3 a.m. Jan. 1, 2019. Over 1,000 guests were able to not only enjoy the fireworks display, but also continue to party well into the night.

Of the 1,010 guests attending the party, 500 were able to go up to the top of the viewing platform to enjoy the spectacular view of the fireworks from high above the city.

Taipei 101 is well known for the brilliant fireworks and light displays which draw an estimated 1 million onlookers to Taipei City’s eastern district every New Year’s Eve, while the scene is shown on television across the world.