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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS