Taipei City Government

In the night of October 7, Mayor Ko Wen-je launched the projection mapping show at “Wen-Luo-Ting” neighborhood of Gongguan area to open the second Nuit Blanche Taipei festival. He also joined the crowds in a parade following the ceremony.

Originating in Paris, the Nuit Blanche was held in Taipei for the first time in 2016 that was well-received among the public. The event falls on the first Saturday of October, when museums and performance venues across the City stay open throughout the night, encouraging residents to engage in cultural activities.

During his address, the mayor expressed his gratitude to participants who turned up despite the poor weather. Ko expressed his amazement to see the participation of 200,000 people in the festival last year, joking that he didn’t expect the huge turnout around North Gate in a single night. Buoyed by the success, the Department of Cultural Affairs selected Wen-Luo-Ting of Gongguan as the main venue for the fest, given the clusters of independent bookstores and unique coffee shops in the area, making it a cultural hub of Taipei.

Ko pointed out that Nuit Blanche possesses three characteristics: all night events, free for all, and civic engagement. He believes events like this will allow the City’s public space to take center stage in an innovative way.

Stressing that art should be promoted through accumulated momentum, he hopes the event will draw an increasing number of participants year after year. The decision to move Nuit Blanche to National Taiwan University was also meant to spotlight surrounding landmarks, such as the Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park, Ko reckoned.