Taiwanese band Mayday (五月天) has announced plans to perform in Hualien County following an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale that struck the county on April 3.
At the end of a charity concert in Quanzhou, China, on Saturday night, the band announced that its next show would be in Hualien, which has also had hundreds of aftershocks.
Many Hualien residents, left messages on Mayday’s Facebook page to express their gratitude.
Photo: Screen grab from Mayday’s Facebook page
“Thank you. Hualien needs this,” one message read.
“Willing to come to Hualien when we need it most. Thank you, Mayday,” another said.
Hualien Hotel Association President Chang Hsuan-han (張琄菡), a Mayday fan, yesterday said the announcement was exciting news among many recent frustrations, including five hotel buildings that have been listed as dangerous.
Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚) extended a warm welcome to the band.
The Hualien Research and Administration Department said it has not received information about Mayday’s concert, but thanked everyone who has helped Hualien, adding that the county government would provide the band with the necessary assistance to hold a concert.
Mayday earlier this month donated NT$5 million (US$153,563) for disaster relief after the earthquake.
In 2015, the band also held a charity concert in the area most heavily hit by a gas explosion in Kaohsiung.
Separately, earthquake relief donations from the public had reached NT$1.4 billion as of 8am yesterday, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said.
The money would be used to assist in the areas affected by the quake, with a focus on emergency medical care, shelter and reconstruction, said the foundation, which falls under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The donation drive is set to end at midnight on Friday, it said, adding that online fundraising platform WaBay would stop accepting donations at midnight tomorrow, while Line Pay would close its donation platform at midnight on Thursday.
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