New Year’s Eve: Where to Watch the 101 Fireworks
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Pyrotechnics around the world rejoice! One of our favorite times of year is upon us, New Year’s Eve and the concussive displays of fireworks that chase midnight across the world like a wave rising around a sports stadium.
If you are in Taiwan for this evening, prepare to be impressed. Although Taiwan is not Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, or Seoul, it is a bastion of firecrackers, feu d’artifices, 花火s, and all things that go boom. It exactly the right place to be to ring in the new year. Most, if not every major city around the Island, fires off fireworks come midnight on New Year’s Eve and none are as impressive as the light display that is the Taipei 101.
This coming year, at midnight on January 1st, 2024, Taipei 101 is slated to release over 16,000 fireworks in the span of five minutes. Fountains, swirls, colors, spirals, and more, this is not going to be your average roman candle backyard beanfeast. Don’t believe us? The city organizers released a preview of the 2024 display here.
We have dedicated this edition of the Pop Rooms blog to help make sure that you find a location and venue to ensure you have the best view and experience possible.
If you have a friend, significant other, co-worker, or acquaintance with a building or an apartment with a view of the 101, enjoy and Happy New Years. It’s okay ignore what we have collected below.
If you are not one of those fortunate souls, we suggest you start by thinking about the vibe that you are looking for as a way of beginning 2024. Will it be a techno-party-till-you-drop-club, fine dining and a great mixed drink, a thermos and a blanket on the side of a mountain, a packed square, a picnic in a park, the rather surreal experience of standing inside the fireworks themselves? These are just a few of your options for this New Year’s Eve in Taipei.
Regardless of what you choose, we recommend getting to your location with at least two-three hours to spare. Bring layers, a fully charged phone, an umbrella, and plenty of patience for the crowded transportation systems that will be gridlocked for the multiple hours following the fireworks display.
Table of Contents
Public Squares
If you want to be in the thick of it, Taipei City Hall Plaza, Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall, and Zhongshan Park will be smack dab in the middle of the New Year’s Eve festivities. As fair warning, get there well ahead of time to settle in and stake out a spot. The City Hall Plaza will be televised and will have a lot going on. It will feel a little Times Square-esque.
Streets with decent views of Taipei 101
The condensed version is that most places within two to four blocks of The 101 will have good views, but they will very likely be packed. Any closer to the tower and it might feel like the fireworks are directly overhead. Xinyi Road, Keelung Road, and Songzhi Road are all major roadways that offer great vistas of the tower but not for their entire span. Exploring the afternoon or the day before can be a great way to stake out a prime spot. You can see the Tower from as far away as Taipei’s North Gate, but we think you might be able to find something closer.
Parks
Rainbow Riverside Park, Meiti Riverside Park, Guanshan Riverside Park, Yingfeng Riverside Park all offer great views.
In our opinion, one of the best ways to watch Taipei’s New Years Eve fireworks is from a park in a city. Pack blankets, warm layers, and a picnic basket. There will certainly be other people and plenty of opportunities to share meals and make friends. The best spots fill up quickly, so once again we’d recommend getting there early and having a clear transportation plan for exiting afterwards. Pro tip: sometimes the grass can be wet so make your shoe and blanket choices accordingly.
The YinFeng Riverside park will even give you the chance to see the fireworks from The 101 and Miramar Ferris Wheel at the same time. In our (biased) opinion, however, the 101 is the better venue.
Bars/Night Clubs
Frank Taipei, Woo Bar @ W Taipei Hotel, Babylon Taipei, Drunk Play, CÉ LA VI Taipei, Yen Bar, Marco Polo Bar, and WXYZ Bar, are among some of the more popular places to go. As a fair warning, most of these bars and or clubs will require tickets in advance for New Year’s Eve, so make sure to check their websites and social media pages.
Restaurants
Zhangman Tap Bistro, Saffron 46, Smith & Wollensky Taipei, Morton’s The Steakhouse,Yen Restaurant at W Hotel, Shanghai Pavilion, The Top (屋頂上), and Night Fever, etc. are all pricy but incredible ways to spend a New Year’s Eve in the city. They will all likely require reservations so plan in advance. If you need other restaurants, check out more ideas here.
Mountains
Elephant Mountain (象山 or Xiangshan), Lion Mountain (獅山), Leopard Mountain (豹山峰), and Tiger Mountain (虎山), are all wonderful hikes and great ways to see Taipei 101. In our opinion they are some of the best places in Taipei to go for date night or to hang out with friends. If you are going to catch a view of the fireworks make sure to wear good footwear, and bring extra layers, water, and flashlights. Most of the trails are very well marked and maintained but hiking in the dark can sometimes be challenging. These places will all be busy so make sure to get to wherever you are going well ahead of time. If you are looking for something even further away, parts of Maokong are also options.
On the opposite side of the city, Jiantanshan, Fuzhoushan Park, Jinmianshan, Bishanyan, Jiannanshan, all offer great views from the north.
Other Ideas
- Watch from inside Taipei 101
- Watch on TV or livestream
- Watch fom a car
- Watch from a subway platform
