Breaking News / One Day Early Showdown: Keelung’s Yellow Rubber Duck Spends the Night with Locals

▲ Keelung’s Yellow Duck spends an extra day with the public. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Keelung

After a day of “rough seas,” the organizers of Keelung’s Yellow Rubber Duck event made a last-minute decision to hold another rehearsal today (20th) to ensure the success of tomorrow’s opening ceremony. With calmer weather conditions, the duck was anchored in place at Marine Plaza, ready for tomorrow’s event—meaning it spent the night one day early with the people of Keelung.<<<<<点我看更多小鸭照片

Early this morning, staff had the duck fully inflated by 8:30 AM and launched it into the water right on schedule at 10:00 AM. Three teams were deployed on the water, including three tugboats, divers for testing, and compared to yesterday’s stormy conditions, although it was drizzling in Keelung today, sea conditions were much calmer, and the inflation, testing, and towing operations went much more smoothly than yesterday. By around 11:00 AM, the duck was successfully towed into position at Marine Plaza, with many locals already waiting at the scene.

At around 11:30 AM, Keelung City Council Speaker noted that yesterday’s towing mishap had caused scratches on the duck. After a full day of emergency repairs, the duck made a vibrant return this morning. Compared to yesterday’s risky situation, today’s rehearsal went off without a hitch, ensuring the opening ceremony would not be affected by similar weather issues. The organizers have decided to let the duck spend the night at Marine Plaza, giving it an early sleepover with the people of Keelung.