Even though New Year’s Eve is on Thursday, now would be a good time to start making plans, with countdown parties in cities and counties across the country.
Wherever you are in the capital, all eyes will likely be on Taipei 101 come midnight. The building welcomes 2010 with 22,000 rounds of fireworks — 6,000 more than last year — for a show lasting 188 seconds and costing a total of NT$30 million.
But back to that important number, 2010. This also happens to be the price in NT dollars to view the fireworks from inside Taipei 101’s 89th floor observation deck. The Light Taiwan 101 party, which starts at 9:30pm, features R ’n’ B band Hot Shock, as well as lucky draw prizes that include Nokia cell phones and free ice cream coupons from Cold Stone Creamery. Tickets had not yet sold out when the Taipei Times contacted the organizer, Lion Travel (雄獅旅行社), earlier this week, but space is limited to 1,200 persons and the event sold out last year. For reservations, call (02) 2175-6611 or visit www.liontravel.com/Comm/2Dom/HotSale/101/index3.asp.
Another sky-high option for viewing the fireworks is the Miramar (美麗華) Ferris wheel in Taipei’s Neihu District, but expect long lines. Even if you don’t get a spot, there will be a concert celebration at the Miramar Entertainment Park (美麗華百樂園), at 20 Jingye 3rd Rd, Neihu Dist, Taipei City (台北市內湖區敬業三路20號), with a roster of musical guests that includes Cape No.7 (海角七號) star musician Ma Nian-hsien (馬念先) and pop duo JS. Getting to Miramar is easier than ever now that the MRT’s Wenhu Line (文湖線) has been completed (provided there are no service interruptions). The stop is Jiannan Road MRT Station (捷運劍南路站).
Or stick to Taipei tradition and see some of Taiwan’s biggest pop stars at Taipei City Hall (臺北市政府) at 1 Shifu Rd, Taipei City (台北市市府路1號). TV funnyman Hu Gua (胡瓜) and Pauline Lan (藍心湄) start warming up the crowd at 7pm, with music acts appearing throughout the evening. Performers include Wang Lee-hom (王力宏), Mayday (五月天), S.H.E and Crowd Lu (盧廣仲). The party is the city’s largest gathering and goes until 1am.
Taichung City will be sharing Wang Lee-hom with Taipei for its party, which is organized by GTV (八大) and takes place at National Taiwan Sport University Stadium (國立台灣體育大學體育場), 16, Shuangshih Rd Sec 1, Taichung City (台中市雙十路一段16號). Rainie Yang (楊丞琳) and Aska Yang (楊宗緯) are among a long list of pop stars slated to appear.
Not to be outdone by Taipei, Kaohsiung City is planning a 199-second fireworks spectacle, along with appearances and performances by a host of entertainers including Kaohsiung native Tiger Huang (黃小琥), actor Mark Chao (趙又廷), Crowd Lu (who is splitting his time with Taipei’s celebration) and Japanese pop duo Hangry and Angry. The party takes place on the block near the Dream Mall (夢時代廣場), at 789, Jhonghua 5th Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市中華五路789號). The main stage festivities run from 7:30pm to 1:30am, but the party continues until 3am.
Tainan is throwing a party at the city government building’s western plaza (台南市政府西側廣場) starting at 7:30pm. Keelung’s New Year’s Eve party takes place once again at Pier 3 East and Pier 4 East in the harbor district and starts at 8pm. Taitung’s Taimali Township (太麻里鄉), which was hit hard by Typhoon Morakot in August, is adding a prayer ritual to their New Year’s celebration in commemoration of their losses. A full list of New Year’s Eve parties can be found at 2010ny.emmm.tw (in Mandarin only).
If you’re attending a celebration in a major city, plan for traffic and crowd control measures. In Taipei and Kaohsiung, expect large crowds and restricted access to certain stations on the MRT, which will run extended hours. Have a safe holiday and please don’t drink and drive.
Last week, Viola Zhou published a marvelous deep dive into the culture clash between Taiwanese boss mentality and American labor practices at the Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) plant in Arizona in Rest of World. “The American engineers complained of rigid, counterproductive hierarchies at the company,” while the Taiwanese said American workers aren’t dedicated. The article is a delight, but what it is depicting is the clash between a work culture that offers employee autonomy and at least nods at work-life balance, and one that runs on hierarchical discipline enforced by chickenshit. And it runs on chickenshit because chickenshit is a cultural
By far the most jarring of the new appointments for the incoming administration is that of Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) to head the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). That is a huge demotion for one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Tseng has one of the most impressive resumes in the party. He was very active during the Wild Lily Movement and his generation is now the one taking power. He has served in many of the requisite government, party and elected positions to build out a solid political profile. Elected as mayor of Taoyuan as part of the
Moritz Mieg, 22, lay face down in the rubble, the ground shaking violently beneath him. Boulders crashed down around him, some stones hitting his back. “I just hoped that it would be one big hit and over, because I did not want to be hit nearly to death and then have to slowly die,” the student from Germany tells Taipei Times. MORNING WALK Early on April 3, Mieg set out on a scenic hike through Taroko Gorge in Hualien County (花蓮). It was a fine day for it. Little did he know that the complex intersection of tectonic plates Taiwan sits
When picturing Tainan, what typically comes to mind is charming alleyways, Japanese architecture and world-class cuisine. But look beyond the fray, through stained glass windows and sliding bookcases, and there exists a thriving speakeasy subculture, where innovative mixologists ply their trade, serving exquisite concoctions and unique flavor profiles to rival any city in Taiwan. Speakeasies hail from the prohibition era of 1920s America. When alcohol was outlawed, people took their business to hidden establishments; requiring patrons to use hushed tones — speak easy — to conceal their illegal activities. Nowadays legal, speakeasy bars are simply hidden bars, often found behind bookcases