Happy New Year 2014 Taipei 101’s Big Blast

An exciting evening in Taipei, Taiwan. The traditional fireworks display from Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world. This event has taken place every year since the structure opened in 2004. We were blessed with a beautiful clear day and mild temperatures reaching 20 celsius in the city. The clear skies held through the night. The Taipei Times reported the morning of New Year’s Eve 2014 that one million people were expected to show up in East Taipei for the annual event.

The MRT, underground subway system, would operate 42 hours straight in order to move people out of the area once the show was over. Extra buses were also on hand to help facilitate the movement of the crowd. I arrived in the area just before 9pm. Large crowds everywhere with a grand stage and performances by some of Taiwan’s top pop stars. Everyone was in a great mood. There were large crowds everywhere but it never felt out of control. Several Taiwanese people greeted me with a big smiling “Happy New Year”.

It was a grand lead in for a 218 second fireworks display. I have to say though it was well worth the effort to get here and find a spot close to the structure that part of which resembles a bamboo stalk. The main colours featured in the fireworks were purple and gold. It was a beautiful display. Elegant and flowing. Like a dance. The Taipei Times reported the show was estimated to cost NT30 million, or 1 million US dollars.

Satisfied with the show a large portion of the crowd dispersed. Filing out slowly to the neighbourhoods in the area and the various MRT stops and bus lines. The show continued on stage. A lovely evening in Asia and a grand way to bring in 2014.