The country yesterday celebrated the annual lantern festival with a bang, setting off firecrackers measuring a world record length of 13km, officials said.
The firecrackers, dubbed the "Fire Dragon Legend", were set off at 6:03pm and lasted for about 40 minutes in Tainan County's Yenshui Township (
"This is no easy task as it will be difficult to make sure the firecrackers are not interrupted by tens of thousands of tourists," said Huang Hung-wen (黃宏文), a Tainan County Government official, before the event.
PHOTO: HUANG CHIH-YUAN, TAIPEI TIMES
Approximately 1,500 people were mobilized and NT$1 million spent to break the existing Guinness World Record from 2002, when firecrackers 11km long were set off in Spain, he said.
At least 100,000 tourists flocked to Yenshui to experience the power of firecrackers and fireworks lasting into the night.
To ensure safety, tourists heading to Yenshui were advised to wear full face helmets and rain coats.
The renowned folk custom dates back more than 180 years when people set off beehive rockets in gratitude to a deity for dispelling a plague.
Also at the festival, a number of temples were illuminated by pig-shaped lanterns for the Year of Golden Pig, riddle contests were held and numerous sky lanterns were released.
The annual lantern festival is celebrated nationwide, falling on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the Lunar New Year holiday.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
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Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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