Taipei hosts the annual New Year's Eve celebration centered on the Taipei 101 skyscraper.
Taipei 101, in Taiwan's Xinyi District, became a major symbol of the city's countdown celebrations. At midnight, fireworks are projected from the building's exterior, creating a display visible across much of the surrounding city. The event is often accompanied by concerts and a public countdown.
The skyscraper opened in stages in the early 2000s and was officially opened in 2004. Its name refers to its 101 above-ground floors, and its distinctive stacked design makes it especially recognizable in televised New Year's coverage.
Taipei 101's event is sometimes loosely called a ball drop because of comparisons with New York's Times Square, but its signature feature is a fireworks display attached to the tower rather than a descending crystal ball.