Seeing through all the fireworks

THERE WAS CONCERN last year that the annual Taipei 101 New Year's Eve fireworks display would not push through because of opposition from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-controlled city government, which was worried that the central government would use the occasion to promote its "UN for Taiwan" bid. After the conflict was resolved, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) became an eager supporter of the festivities and the city government even adopted the fireworks show as the theme of its New Year's greeting cards.

The show went on as scheduled. After the show, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) criticized the city government for the air pollution caused by the number of barbecues hold that night. The EPA would have done better to take a look at the pollution caused by the massive fireworks.

Prior to the festivities, the media was full of guidelines on the best locations to view the fireworks display, telling the public to avoid down-wind locations as they would be enveloped by smoke. Unfortunately, the densely packed residential areas to the south-west of Taipei 101 are vulnerable to northeasterly winds. While tourists praised the show, local residents had to put up with the smell of smoke and gunpowder seeping inside their homes. While the air pollution caused by the fireworks will eventually dissipate, the cost of putting up such a lavish display is a burden that future generations must bear.

Shallow politicians construct false images of prosperity with resplendent shows to cover up their inadequacies. In an M-shaped society like Taiwan's, those who struggle on the margins hope that the ephemeral joys of the fireworks display can dull 365 days of hardship.

Finding joy at the expense of others seems to be a common thread in this society. In the last two years, Xinyi District has had to cope with the crush of hundreds of thousands of people during the New Year's Eve celebrations despite advanced preparations to divert traffic flow. By 7pm or 8pm, the surrounding areas were completely congested: Motorbikes not only blocked the entrance of apartment buildings, but were also parked in the middle of roads.

While the celebrations ended just after midnight, many were unable to get home until sunrise. Public complaints about the congestion describe the New Year's fireworks an annual nightmare. While Xinyi District has skywalks that serve as emergency service routes, local residents have nothing to fall back on: Were an emergency to occur, are helicopters supposed to land on residential rooftops to provide assistance?

Similar situations are played out across the city because of improper urban planning. The Taipei City Government boasts of the Maokong Gondola attracting millions of tourists. However, the pride of former Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Hau was built at the expense of residents of Qixia Community (棲霞山莊), who must suffer the noise pollution and loss of privacy. Meanwhile, tourists have to pray for luck and hope they don't get stuck halfway through the ride. And, the much-vaunted tourism boost for the area's tea plantations has yet to come true.

Despite this failed experience, there are now proposals to build a similar cable car system in Beitou -- ignoring the threat it poses to the area's ecology and traditional hot-spring culture.