Taipei City Government

Mayor Ko Wen-je and First Lady of Taipei City Peggy Chen attended the 2019 Taipei Valentine’s Day in the evening of August 4, kicking off the 8-minute Taipei riverside fireworks display together.

Taipei City mascot Bravo also dressed up as Cupid to wish all lovers in the world to come together. During his speech, Ko expressed thanks to the public for supporting the Taipei Valentine’s Day event and said that he had requested the city government take into consideration localization, internationalization, and industrialization when hosting events such as this. Thanks to localization, the cultural and creative industry and the historical ambiance of Dadaocheng have been merged into the event, hence a large number of travel agencies turned out in support of the Taipei Valentine’s Day.

He further elaborated that a great deal of preparation goes into organizing the fireworks show; Taipei City Government had coordinated with Taipei Songshan Airport in regards to air traffic control, requesting that all aircraft must have landed before 20:00 that evening, and aircraft would only be allowed back in the airspace after the fireworks display had finished. Time is of the essence, therefore time control and punctuality was crucial.

The mayor commented that besides the art performers, he wanted to thank all the staff involved to make this event possible, so that the citizens may listen to the music while enjoying the mesmerizing entertainment. He added that, for instance, there were at least 80,000 people here that day, therefore a large number of police officers were required to maintain order and conduct traffic control. Taipei City Government had begun planning for the fireworks display many months ago; hence he also extended his gratitude to his city government colleagues for providing citizens with a sensational evening.

Ko hopes that the city government’s events will improve every year in order to eventually attain international standards. Most importantly, industrialization involves the stimulation of consumption by citizens, therefore beside the plethora of vendors at the scene; “Eternal Love” couples’ set menus are available at restaurants on Dihua Street. He encouraged lovers to visit Dihua Street after the fireworks show to relish a romantic dinner together. On top of that, Camera Street is also hosting the Dadaocheng fireworks photography contest. Last but not least, he especially recommended the mouthwatering mango ice, and when he said that the lovers can even share a bowl together, the audience burst out laughing.