Residents of Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) yesterday said the Neihu Matsu Fireworks Festival on Saturday night created too much noise, and voiced concern about the potential health and environmental hazards posed by the event.
Now in its fourth year, the event dedicated to sea goddess Matsu (媽祖) includes a district-wide parade and a fireworks show next to Bihu Lake (碧湖), with hundreds of people affiliated with the Neihu Matsu Management Committee escorting a statue of Matsu, banging gongs and drums and setting off firecrackers along the way.
The committee said the show featured 100,000 fireworks.
Area residents complained about loud noises and vibrations from the 30-minute fireworks show, which they said shook their homes.
A woman surnamed Tu (涂) said she could clearly hear the explosions, even though she does not live close to the lake, adding that her dog was “terribly scared.”
Dahu Borough (大湖) Warden Hung Mei-hui (洪美惠) said the explosions rocked her home and that she received a telephone call from a neighbor who thought a gas plant near the community had blown up.
Hung said she was concerned about the detrimental effects of PM2.5, particulates under 2.5 micrometers in diameter, might have on residents near Bihu, as it is one of the district’s most densely populated residential areas.
Hung urged Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to levy fees on organizers of religious events and to establish an annual cap on the number of fireworks set off in the city to limit air pollution.
She was referring to Ko’s recent comment that the city plans to limit the number of running events by increasing the amount of fees that organizers must pay.
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