This year’s Hohaiyan Gongliao Rock Festival is back on after the New Taipei City Government late on Thursday made a policy U-turn on an earlier decision to cancel the event.
In a statement, the city’s Department of Tourism said the rock festival at Fulong Beach (福隆海灘) is to be held concurrently with the River and Ocean Musical Festival over three consecutive weekends in August.
The reversal comes after the tourism department’s earlier announcement, that it was scrapping the Hohaiyan Gongliao Rock Festival and replacing it with four weeks of beach and mountain activities due to a lack of space was panned by music fans.
Photo: Yu Chao-fu, Taipei Times
The decision sparked outrage and complaints by music fans, local residents and elected representatives, prompting the department to reverse the decision 48 hours later.
Residents and local politicians also condemned the city government over the opaque process and lack of consultation in making the decision. They questioned the motive behind the reversal, asking if it was a trick to lure young people, as New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) is widely expected to run in next year’s presidential election.
“The Hohaiyan Rock Festival is a well-known brand with more than two decades of history. It has turned many of Taiwan’s unknown bands into headline acts, which is good for promoting music and tourism in the city,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) New Taipei City Councilor Chiu Ting-wei (邱婷蔚) said.
DPP Councilor Lee Yu-dien (李余典) said Hou is deceiving the public by claiming that he has reinstated the Gongliao festival when in reality it has been scaled back, with the main themes changed and the event itself becoming a small feature of the River and Ocean Music Festival.
“When the sudden decision was met with a public outcry, [city authorities] said it would still be held, which indicates that the decision was made haphazardly, without consultation,” DPP Legislator Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧) said. “The new version is lacking in indie music spirit and has no links to local residents’ will to safeguard the beach and the marine environment.”
The Hohaiyan festival is usually held each summer for two to three days. Since its launch in 2000, it has featured popular Taiwanese musicians such as Mayday and pop singer A-mei (張惠妹), as well as performers from elsewhere in Asia and from Europe and North America.
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