TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taichung City Government is facing public criticism over the Double Ten Day fireworks for starting 20 minutes early and the cancellation of the drone show, among other issues.
The National Day fireworks were originally scheduled to be launched from Taichung Central Park on Tuesday (Oct. 10) at 8 p.m. but were instead held at 7:40 p.m., triggering public backlash, reported Liberty Times. Many visitors reportedly arrived at the venue at the originally scheduled time only to find that the pyrotechnics show had already ended, while others complained that the performance stage faced away from the audience.
Many people were unable to adjust their itineraries in time to make the show and left angry comments beneath the live broadcast to criticize the sudden scheduling change. As of Wednesday morning (Oct. 11), the Facebook pages for Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) and the Taichung City Government have been flooded with angry complaints about the abrupt adjustment such as, "Didn't you say eight o'clock," "Why set a timetable if you don't follow the schedule," "and "Worst National Day fireworks display ever."
Apart from the fireworks and drone show, many netizens also criticized the stage setup and logistical issues. Netizens complained that the performance stage only faced the VIP seats, while the rest of the audience faced the back of the stage and was unable to clearly see the entertainers.
At least one group reportedly had difficulty locating the TV camera during their performance and had to readjust their orientation midway through their set. Sam Yang, the lead singer of the band Fire EX., said on Facebook that the road lane for performers was crowded with people, and when he asked police for assistance in clearing the way, an officer allegedly said, "Everyone is watching the fireworks. Who cares about you?"
In response to the controversy over the fireworks display, the Taichung City Government responded on Tuesday evening, saying that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Mayor Lu, and National Day Celebration Preparatory Committee Chairperson and Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun (游錫堃) "were particularly considerate of the large crowd of citizens who had been waiting for a long time." In order to meet the public's expectations, "the speeches were kept concise and ended earlier than the scheduled time," stated the city government.
As for the cancellation of the drone show, the Taichung City Government said that it was because 60 unidentified drones broke into the restricted area and intruded into the airspace above Central Park, causing signal interference. Due to security and on-site personnel safety considerations, the Taichung City Government had to cancel the show on short notice.
