Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The City’s New Year Countdown Party took place on New Year’s Eve at the Civic Plaza. A record 760,000 revelers ushered in the New Year as brilliant fireworks lit up the night sky over Taipei 101.
Dignitaries attending the event include President Ma Ying-jeou and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin. Both President Ma and the mayor led the crowd in calling out “ROC 99, Taiwan Go Go Go”, “I love Taiwan, I love Taipei” and “Taiwan Up” before the countdown, wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a prosperous future for the nation.
According to the city’s police department, the number of participants attending this year’s event grew by 200,000 compared to last year. With the public transportation system running at peak schedule all night long and the implementation of various traffic control measures, traffic in Xinyi District was largely relieved by 2:30 AM.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC) indicated that passenger volume between 6PM on December 31 and 6PM on January 1 reached 2.16million, breaking last year’s record by 21,000 people.
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) assigned 473 sanitation workers to clean up the Civic Plaza after the party. The staff removed 13 tons of garbage before dawn.