She’s the mastermind behind Taipei 101’s New Year’s Eve fireworks — Yang Yuanyuan: “I just want to do something for Taiwan”

Reported by You Tzu-ju / Taipei

The sponsor of the Taipei 101 fireworks was announced yesterday (23rd) as being exclusively supported by the non-profit See Taiwan Foundation, under the theme “2015 iSeeTaiwan Love Taiwan,” calling on Taiwanese people to cherish their homeland together and create a better Taiwan. Yang Yuanyuan, executive director of the See Taiwan Foundation and the driving force behind the “Love Taiwan” campaign, became emotional when talking about collaborating with Taipei 101 on the 2015 New Year’s fireworks, saying: “I really want to do something for Taiwan.”


▲ Yang Yuanyuan, executive director of the See Taiwan Foundation, had red eyes at the press conference as she said: “I really want to do something for Taiwan.” (Photo / Provided by the See Taiwan Foundation)

It was simply the desire to do something for Taiwan that led to the decision to sponsor the Taipei 101 fireworks. In an interview, Yang Yuanyuan explained that the idea to sponsor the fireworks came after seeing news reports in early December that this year’s fireworks — a symbol of Taiwan — had yet to find a sponsor. “Suddenly I felt like no one cared about things back home.” Having lived abroad, she developed a deeper desire to give back to her homeland. Yang Yuanyuan said it was a simple thought that convinced her to persuade her colleagues to make it happen.

With less than a month to go before 2015, Yang Yuanyuan began persuading her coworkers. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Her colleagues decided to get behind the idea, and the foundation reached out to Taipei 101’s PR team to discuss the details and terms of cooperation. “At first I was scared, worried that there wouldn’t be enough time, but I told myself to give it a try.” In the end, the See Taiwan Foundation secured the sponsorship for the 2015 fireworks, marking the first time a non-profit organization has exclusively sponsored Taipei 101’s New Year’s Eve fireworks in Taiwan.

“The Taipei 101 New Year’s fireworks are something the public looks forward to every year. More importantly, we can use the fireworks to share messages about Taiwan with the world.” Yang Yuanyuan pointed out that Taiwan is a lovely and heartwarming place, and its beauty should be seen globally to attract more international tourists to visit, experience the local culture deeply, and engage in cultural exchanges. The fireworks will serve as a starting point, with hopes of conveying even more ideas through them in the future.

Yang Yuanyuan further explained: “‘Love Taiwan iSeeTaiwan’ is the message we at the See Taiwan Foundation want to convey this year.” The 2015 Taipei 101 fireworks are once again designed by the French team responsible for previous years. While the details and methods of expressing “love” have not been finalized, the love for Taiwan remains unchanged. The team looks forward to a spectacular fireworks display on New Year’s Eve, spreading the beauty of Taiwan to the world.