1st night of giant mechanical elephant parade in Taipei draws 100,000

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) The first night of the "Trois éléphants passent ..." street performance drew around 100,000 Taiwanese and foreign spectators to the streets of Taipei's Shilin District on Saturday, the opening night, with another performance scheduled for Sunday, according to the Taipei Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) and 10 foreign representatives to Taiwan, including representatives from France, Germany, Hungary and Lithuania, saw the parade, which featured three mechanical elephants, each 4.5 meters tall and 8 meters long, as its centerpiece of the performance, the city government said in a statement Saturday.

The street theater, presented by French troupe Compagnie Oposito, also featured a cultural fusion with local groups Sun Son Theatre and Hsuan-yu Music, combining classical music, Breton folk tunes and street percussion, according to the statement.

The statement quoted Compagnie Oposito Artistic Director Jean-Raymond Jacob as describing the collaboration as one that seemed "impossible to play together." However, by "listening," the groups were able to learn from one another while maintaining their own cultural identities, creating a new harmonic sound, he said.

To prepare for Sunday's performance, the TPAC said it would deploy dozens more police officers than the more than 400 stationed on Saturday to enhance security.

Traffic restrictions will also be imposed on Jihe Road between Zhongzheng Road and Wenlin Road from 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The TPAC said congestion on nearby roads was observed Saturday night and urged road users to avoid the area if possible.

The center also encouraged eventgoers to use public transportation, as parking spaces in the surrounding area will be limited.

The Taipei Metro will adjust its train schedules to accommodate the large event, similar to its arrangements for the annual New Year's Eve celebrations, it added.

For spectators unable to secure a good viewing spot, the TPAC said the performance will also be broadcast live at the playing fields of nearby Taipei Municipal BaiLing Senior High School and Xintiandi Parking Lot, as well as on its official YouTube channel.

Crowd-related issues

Several spectators reported symptoms related to the large crowds, including dizziness, while others suffered minor injuries such as collisions and abrasions on Saturday night. The on-site medical stations treated those affected, and no one required further hospital treatment, the TPAC said.

Some attendees also complained that crowd movement at the event was chaotic, resulting in bottlenecks and blocked pedestrian flows.

Asked about the issues, Chiang said he had asked the police department to deploy additional officers, while crowd control and evacuation measures would also be strengthened at MRT Jiantan and Shilin stations.

He urged the public to take public transportation to the event and make the most of Sunday night's performance.

Praising the "Trois éléphants passent ..." street show as a a spectacular performance presented by a renowned French troupe in collaboration with local Taiwanese performing arts groups, Chiang said the event was intended to bring art into neighborhoods and into residents' daily lives.

Meanwhile, Puma Shen (沈伯洋), the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Taipei mayor in November, told reporters that conspicuous signs indicating viewing areas and electronic signage to help direct pedestrian flows could perhaps help.

The Sunday performance is scheduled to begin at 7:14 p.m.

The street performance is the opening event of the Taipei Arts Festival, which features theater, dance and art installations through Oct. 25.