Pokemon Go players looking to capture rare game characters at the Tainan City Government’s Pokemon Go Safari Zone event flooded the city, with the number of visitors on the event’s third day exceeding the city’s expected total for the five-day event.
The event, a collaboration between the city and game developer Niantic, promises rare pokemon captures at 30 different locations across the city.
The Tainan Tourism Bureau asked city residents to tolerate the inconvenience caused by the influx of visitors, saying that the city stands to gain from increased revenue.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
The city has increased patrols at event locations, which includes the Chimei Museum and the Tainan Metropolitan Park, and would crack down on traffic violations, the bureau added.
It urged the players to stay hydrated to prevent heat stroke, citing several such incidents that occured at noon on Saturday.
Pokemon Go player Chen San-yuan (陳三元) drove from New Taipei City to attend the event yesterday.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
Chen’s setup of 15 mobile phones and nine portable batteries drew other players’ attention, with many taking a break from pokemon hunting to take pictures with him.
The event lasts from 10:30am to 4:30pm and runs through tomorrow.
It features several rare pokemon that are not often found in Taiwan, such as Relicanth, which is usually found only in New Zealand, and the Unown, a type of pokemon that are shaped like letters.
A new pokemon, called Shiny Pinsir, would be making its debut at the event, the city government said.
Additional reporting by Chiu Hao-tang and CNA
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