Taipei 101 to kick off New Year countdown celebrations 5 days early: Chair

Taipei, Dec. 3 (CNA) Taipei 101 on Wednesday unveiled a preview of its New Year's Eve fireworks, announcing that celebrations will begin five days early with nightly Disney-themed projection shows.

Chairperson Janet Chia (賈永婕) told reporters that the biggest change this year is an "extended countdown," with characters such as those from Toy Story projected onto the tower each night from Dec. 27 to 31.

She said the six-minute fireworks show will feature low-smoke pyrotechnics imported from Italy and be set to original music composed by young Taiwanese artists. The duration and budget are the same as last year.

Another first is Taipei 101's collaboration with the Taipei Music Center to curate the soundtrack, Chia said. Award-winning producer Lu Luming (盧律銘) led the process -- from selection and training to recording and post-production -- highlighting creators under 30.

The fireworks will be best viewed from the north and east sides of Taipei, she added. On New Year's Eve, a three-minute "Taiwan's Invisible Heroes" light show will also run, paying tribute to everyday workers who keep society functioning.