On New Year’s Eve there were plenty of places that hosted parties, competing with each other over rosters of artists and celebrities, as well as the magnificence of their fireworks displays.
Taipei 101’s brilliant and colorful fireworks displays captivate the attention of Taiwanese and are frequently featured in international media.
However, fireworks displays are a double-edged sword. From a tourism perspective, the New Year’s Eve fireworks consistently attract large crowds and create business opportunities, boosting the local economy.
Many restaurants on upper floors near Taipei 101 are fully booked months in advance, while hotels with views of the show have 90 percent occupancy. The economic benefits cannot be denied.
However, the shows are not without significant costs. In addition to the air pollution and the messes left by crowds, they also pose significant safety risks.
At Taichung’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, embers and sparks from the fireworks fell into the crowd, injuring a six-year-old girl and starting a fire in vegetation.
Moreover, fireworks displays are expensive — many regions across Taiwan budget hundreds of millions of New Taiwan dollars for them.
In the past few years, with a rise in environmental awareness, many temples have banned the burning of incense to decrease air pollution, so it seems ironic that government departments spend so much money on fireworks.
Aside from New Year’s Eve and Double Ten National Day, local governments also use fireworks to attract tourists, such as the Penghu International Fireworks Festival. In the event’s earlier years, the event was good for Penghu’s rather sluggish tourism industry.
However, fireworks lack local character and the displays are uniform.
Meanwhile, Penghu’s other attractions have not evolved, leading many tourists to stay away outside the festival.
Fireworks are by no means a cure-all — the decrease in Penghu’s tourism in recent years is evidence.
Fireworks are a feast for the eyes, but with their fading brilliance comes potential harms. The trade-off between environmental pollution and tourism lacks a short-term solution, but finding a balance between the two is a crucial issue that must be addressed. Through proper management and control, it is possible to maximize the benefits of fireworks displays while mitigating their environmental impact.
The authorities must work harder to realize that goal.
Wen Shun-te is a senior-high school principal.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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