New Year's Eve parties for revelers around Taiwan

Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) With 2024 just around the corner, CNA has compiled a list of countdown parties and fireworks displays from around the country to help you choose where to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

Celebrities, singers, and dancers will entertain New Year's revelers around Taiwan to say goodbye to 2023 with a blast.

New Taipei

New Taipei City government said it has the earliest New Year's Eve fireworks display in Taiwan, which is scheduled to begin at 8:24 p.m. across the Tamsui River estuary.

A firework display of 13 minutes and 14 seconds is planned with eight segments, including an image of a dragon to mark the upcoming Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar.

The display will end by using light beams to project the image of Tamjiang Bridge currently under construction.

Performances and market fairs will take place from 3 p.m. in Tamsui and Bali districts on both sides of the river.

Taipei

With the theme "Taipei Let's Play!" the city's annual countdown party will take place in front of Taipei City Hall and start at 7 p.m., according to Taipei City government.

At 9 p.m., four concerts will take place at locations close to city hall, including a concert of classic music near Taipei City Hall MRT station on the Blue Line, and a silent disco behind city hall.

Meanwhile, the Taipei 101 skyscraper plans a 5-minute fireworks display based on the theme "Colorful World."

Taiwanese trio Accusefive will be the final performers at the party, singing a song specially tailored to mark the beginning of 2024, according to the city government.

Keelung

Before a 6-minute fireworks show that will start at the stroke of midnight, a market fair highlighting the city's culinary culture will be held in a square between the harbor and Keelung Railway Station, Keelung City government said.

At 9 p.m, a 3D version of the year-end concert held on Dec. 23 will be played over Aniverse Keelung, a metaverse exhibition space in the old railway station near the harbor.

Taoyuan

Taoyuan's "Star Up" countdown party will begin at 7 p.m. in front of the high-speed rail station in the city's Zhongli District, according to the city government.

The five-hour show will start with Taiwanese singing duo Power Station and end with a performance by two members of K-pop group N.Flying -- Lee Seung-hyub and Yoo Hwe-seung.

Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County

Local authorities in the Greater Hsinchu area will jointly hold their countdown at the future site of a planned National Taiwan University Hospital branch near Nanya Park in Hsinchu City.

In addition to a pop concert featuring 15 artists or groups, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., there will also be a market fair with 100 vendors, local authorities said.

The party will end with a 5-minute fireworks display to usher in 2024.

Taichung

Several New Year's Eve events are planned across Taichung, including the first of six concerts by rock band Mayday held at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium for its #5525 Live Tour to mark the group's 25th anniversary.

The Taichung City government countdown event will take place in Taichung Central Park in the city's Xitun District from 7 p.m.-1 a.m., including a 3-minute fireworks display at midnight.

The list of artists performing at Taichung Central Park include singer-songwriter Crowd Lu (盧廣仲) and rap singer Jessi from South Korea, according to the city government.

The Lihpao Resort in Taichung's Houli District will start its countdown party with a performance by rock band 831 at 8 p.m., while the amusement park's Ferris wheel will be the center of a 5-minute fireworks display coupled with a light shows at midnight.

Sun Moon Lake, Nantou County

A 6-minute fireworks show over Sun Moon Lake will welcome in the new year in Nantou County. The fireworks will frame the lake's beautiful setting, at a scale similar to that of the Sun Moon Lake Cycling, Music and Fireworks Festival between October and November this year.

However, instead of Dec. 31, the fireworks show will take place a day earlier on Dec. 30.

There will be no shuttle service transporting people to the lake, and organizers urge visitors to try to get there as early as possible to avoid traffic congestion.

Yunlin County

One of the longest New Year's fireworks shows in central and southern Taiwan will be held in Yunlin County at Janfusun Fancyworld theme park, which is hosting its 17th New Year countdown fireworks event.

The theme park said it will deploy 400 drones near its Ferris wheel to create a light show lasting 14 minutes and 8 seconds.

Chiayi City and Chiayi County

A total of 21 groups of celebrities will take turns performing on stage at Chiayi City Municipal Stadium from 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 to commence the countdown for the Greater Chiayi area.

Chiayi City announced that alongside performers, the city's "We Chiayi" New Year countdown event will also feature its annual stadium nightmarket, with pop up vendors and food trucks accompanying event goers through the night.

Lucy Lu (盧怡君), director of the Chiayi City Cultural Affairs Bureau, said traffic controls will be imposed around the stadium to accommodate the event, and shuttle services to the venue will be available to the general public.

Tainan

Two New Year's celebrations will be held concurrently in Tainan on Dec. 31.

The event hosted by the city government will begin at 6 p.m. and last until 1 a.m. the next day.

Located at the western square of the city government's Yonghua Civic Center in South District, the event will be headlined by South Korean songstress Kim Se-jeong, K-pop boyband Verivery and Japanese pop diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

Organizers also announced that 3,000 fireworks will take to the skies for 3 minutes starting at midnight on Dec. 31 to celebrate the city's fourth centennial.

At 7 p.m., another celebration will take place at Nanying Green City Park in Xinying District, featuring concerts by local acts who will take turns performing for event attendees until 1 a.m.

The city government warned that traffic controls will be in effect at both locations from 1 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 2 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Kaohsiung

The port city of Kaohsiung has promised to bring back Taiwan's very own queen of New Year's countdown concerts, diva Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕), for an exclusive performance at the city's flagship Dream Mall.

Once an annual staple at Taiwan's New Year countdown concerts, Hsieh returns to the countdown stage for the first time in three years.

Hsieh has been scheduled as the final act of the Kaohsiung show, with the city announced as the only venue she will perform at this year.

Other than Hsieh and other Taiwanese acts, Kaohsiung's celebration will also feature Thai singer Jeff Satur who will serenade the audience.

The city will start its celebrations at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 at the mall.

The performance stage has been engineered to be a theater where singers, dancers and program hosts can interact with more of the audience.

The stage will be installed on the city's Shidai Boulevard enabling the celebration to pack in large numbers of attendees.

A 4-minute fireworks show will start at midnight to celebrate the arrival of 2024.

In terms of public transport, Kaohsiung City Government announced it will increase metro and train services, with the metro continuing to run until 2 a.m.

Other than the mall, Kaohsiung's E-DA Theme Park on Dec. 20 announced that the entertainment venue's annual fireworks show will last 999 seconds (16 minutes and 39 seconds).

The fireworks display will also incorporate light shows that create giant visual spectacles to thrill those in attendance.

Traffic controls will be enforced in the event's parking lot to regulate entry. In addition, free shuttle buses will be provided to transport event goers between the park and PXMart Renwu-Shueiguan Store. A paid-bus service will also be provided to take commuters from the park to Kaohsiung's Zuoying High-speed Rail Station.

Hualien

Hualien announced that the county has leveled up its hardware for this year's countdown and fireworks' celebration.

The showcase this year has been named the Hualien New Year's Countdown Party, where singers will usher the community into 2024 from 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 1.

The event will be held in Dongdamen Night Market square, where fireworks will be set off from a 200-meter-long rig.