Is the countermeasure to prevent the Rubber Duck from exploding again just "praying"? Huang Jing-tai: Yes, yes, yes.

Reported by Chen Zi-yin / Taipei

The Rubber Duck "exploded" on the last day of 2013, drawing widespread attention across Taiwan, with netizens commenting, "That's just ridiculous!" and "The most unlucky duck in history." In fact, two days before the exhibition,on December 19, 2013, the duck’s "skin was scratched"due to operational negligence, but it was swiftly repaired the next day.At that time, a reporter from ETtoday EBC News Cloud asked Keelung City Council Speaker Huang Jing-tai about future preventive measures. Huang only mentioned praying and dismissed the reporter as a "jinx."。

Looking back, on December 31, 2013, the Rubber Duck "officially" exploded and was unable to ring in the New Year with the public. Prior to this, there were various speculations, such as corrosion from the cleaning agent used to wash the duck, excessive scrubbing, or the influence of the northeast monsoon. However, after an investigation by the organizers, the main reason was found to bethat the manufacturer had installed safety strips on the duck, which caused its body to burst like a pressure cooker.

On the 20th, during the second rehearsal, reporters asked Huang Jing-tai: "If the same thing happens again, what are the countermeasures?" Huang scolded the reporter for being a "jinx" and said, "I prayed to the Earth God this morning, and the Earth God will ensure it won’t happen again!" The reporter followed up, "So the countermeasure is just praying?" Huang replied, "Yes, yes, yes. We prayed, and with the Earth God’s protection, it won’t happen again!"

The duck’s exhibition in Keelung has been full of controversies and dramatic incidents every one or two days, like a soap opera. First, during rehearsals, the duck’s skin was accidentally scratched due to operational errors.Then, the duck’s body became covered in dust due to air and monsoon rainfall, requiring a large team to clean it.Hardworking staff climbed onto a crane to carefully clean the duck, but the effort was ineffective, as it got dusty again the next day. On the 31st, it even burst open from the "temple area," leaving a big yellow duck egg-like hole that left the public stunned.Although the organizers have announced that the repaired Rubber Duck will be back on display as early as January 3,this series of incidents makes people wonder, "Did Keelung ever really get ready to bring the Rubber Duck to Taiwan?"


▲Although the scars on the repaired Rubber Duck are not obvious, all these experiences have left a deep impression on the people of Taiwan. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wen-bin)