Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, is famous for launching New Year’s Eve fireworks from its façade.
The skyscraper’s New Year display uses fireworks and lighting effects attached to or coordinated with the building’s exterior. Because Taipei 101 is a highly recognizable landmark, the show has become one of the most widely broadcast celebrations in East Asia.
Taipei 101 was officially opened in 2004 and was designed by C.Y. Lee and Partners. It was the world’s tallest building from 2004 until the Burj Khalifa surpassed it in 2010. Its unusual stacked form was inspired partly by traditional Chinese architectural ideas and symbolic numerology.
The fireworks are not simply launched from the roof like an ordinary city display. Pyrotechnic effects are distributed across the tower, creating a vertical sequence visible from much of Taipei. Display lengths and designs vary by year, so the landmark—not one fixed fireworks duration—is the enduring fact.