Giant Mechanical Elephant Parade Attracts 100,000 Spectators in Taipei

Taipei: 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, marking a grand opening night. Another performance is scheduled for Sunday, as reported by the Taipei Performing Arts Center (TPAC). According to Focus Taiwan, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and 10 foreign representatives to Taiwan, including representatives from France, Germany, Hungary, and Lithuania, attended the parade. The event's centerpiece featured three mechanical elephants, each standing 4.5 meters tall and 8 meters long. The city government released a statement on Saturday highlighting the presence of these remarkable creations. The street theater was presented by the French troupe Compagnie Oposito and showcased a cultural collaboration with local groups Sun Son Theatre and Hsuan-yu Music. The performance combined classical music, Breton folk tunes, and street percussion. Compagnie Oposito Artistic Director Jean-R aymond Jacob described the collaboration as initially seeming "impossible to play together." However, through active "listening," the groups learned from one another while maintaining their cultural identities, resulting in a unique harmonic sound. In preparation for Sunday's performance, the TPAC announced plans to deploy additional police officers beyond the 400 stationed on Saturday to ensure enhanced security. Traffic restrictions will be in place on Jihe Road between Zhongzheng Road and Wenlin Road from 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The TPAC observed congestion on nearby roads on Saturday night and urged road users to avoid the area if possible. The center also encouraged attendees to use public transportation due to limited parking spaces in the vicinity. The Taipei Metro will adjust train schedules to accommodate the large event, similar to its arrangements for the annual New Year's Eve celebrations. For those unable to secure a good viewing spot, the TPAC will broadcast the performance live at nearby locations , including the playing fields of Taipei Municipal BaiLing Senior High School and Xintiandi Parking Lot, as well as on its official YouTube channel. During Saturday night's event, several spectators reported symptoms related to the large crowds, including dizziness, while others suffered minor injuries such as collisions and abrasions. On-site medical stations treated those affected, and none required further hospital treatment, the TPAC confirmed. Some attendees complained about chaotic crowd movement, leading to bottlenecks and blocked pedestrian flows. In response, Mayor Chiang has asked the police department to deploy additional officers and strengthen crowd control and evacuation measures at MRT Jiantan and Shilin stations. He encouraged the public to use public transportation and enjoy the Sunday night performance. Praising the "Trois éléphants passent ..." street show as a spectacular performance presented by a renowned French troupe in collaboration with local Taiwanese performing arts groups, Mayo r Chiang emphasized the event's aim to bring art into neighborhoods and residents' daily lives. Meanwhile, Puma Shen, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Taipei mayor in November, suggested that conspicuous signs indicating viewing areas and electronic signage to direct pedestrian flows could be beneficial. The Sunday performance is scheduled to begin at 7:14 p.m. The street performance serves as the opening event of the Taipei Arts Festival, which features theater, dance, and art installations through October 25.