Mourning for Penghu air disaster and Kaohsiung gas explosion; Kinmen Mooncake Gambling Opening Ceremony canceled

Reported by Chen Zi-Yin / Taipei

In recent times, Taiwan has experienced a series of domestic disasters, including the Penghu air disaster and the Kaohsiung gas explosion, which have cast a pall of grief across the nation, leading to the cancellation of numerous events. Earlier, the Kinmen County Government also announced that all activities of the originally scheduled “Kinmen Mid-Autumn Mooncake Gambling – Contest for the Top Scholar’s Cake” event on August 9 in Lieyu Township have been canceled.

The Kinmen County Government stated that the tradition of Kinmen Mooncake Gambling has a history of 300 years and is a major annual event in Kinmen. The opening ceremony of the “Kinmen Mid-Autumn Mooncake Gambling” on August 9, as well as the preliminary rounds held on August 10, 24, and 31 for Taiwanese hometown associations in northern, central, and southern Taiwan, have all been canceled out of shared mourning for the recent spate of disasters.The Kinmen County Government expressed deep regret to those who had planned to participate in the event. To avoid impacting the travel plans of visitors who had already arranged to come to Kinmen during the event period, all other originally scheduled activities, except for the opening ceremony, will be postponed and begin on August 15, with the original end date remaining unchanged.


▲ Kinmen Mooncake Gambling is an annual highlight with a history of 300 years. (Photo / File photo, from the official website of Kinmen Mooncake Gambling)