Officials of the Taipei City Government and other local-level county and municipal governments around the island plan to organize similar outdoor barbecues for the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays next year.

Taipei officials estimated the barbecues held at 11 designated riverside parks drew more than 50,000 people on Monday evening, and an even larger number of participants yesterday.



While people brought their own BBQ sets, food and beverages, the city government provided free BBQ racks, coal and food for around 2,000 underprivileged people, such as single senior citizens, physically challenged people, and new immigrants to Taiwan.



A musical concert was held at the Dajia Riverside Park along the Keelung River between the Zhongshan and Dazhi districts of the city last night.



A "water dancing show" -- water from the river and sent into the air to reflect colorful laser lights -- was staged at an interval of every 30 minutes.



On the "water curtains" were also a wide variety of images or pictures formed with laser beams.



At Dadaocheng Wharf -- along the Danshui River and at the end of Minsheng West Road -- the Minghuayuan Taiwanese opera troupe gave a performance for people gathering in the area to have a barbecue with their family and appreciate the full moon.



Critics cast doubts and criticisms about government efforts to promote the barbecues, which tend to cause severe air pollution from the burning coal and grilled meat, not to mention the tons of rubbish left behind in the aftermath.



The release of massive amounts of carbon monoxide from the burning coal poses a grave threat to public health, the critics said.



Carbon monoxide -- a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas -- becomes poisonous in continuous exposure after eight hours at 50 ppm. Extreme cases of carbon monoxide poisoning can result in death.



Eating charred meat from the barbecues can also cause cancer, the critics warned.



Taipei officials defended the government's role in the activities. They said that residents on the island have cultivated the habit of having barbecues on balconies or along walkways in front of their houses during the Mid-Autumn Festival.



Holding public barbecues in the spacious riverside parks in the capital city is one way to help prevent pollution, or even fire hazards in crowded neighborhoods, they said.



Air pollution index readings from various monitoring stations showed air quality in northern Taiwan was not affected by the holiday barbecues, according to officials at the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of the central government.



As of 11 p.m. Monday, atmospheric levels of carbon monoxide in northern Taiwan were recorded at an average of 0.6 ppm, lower than the 1.41 ppm average registered during last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, the officials said.



The lower levels of carbon monoxide has been attributed to stronger winds, which dispersed carbon monoxide.



The sharp reduction in the number of vehicles and motorcycles on the roads during the holiday also helped significantly, they said.



Many people working and living in Taipei drove their cars or took public transportation around the island to return to their hometowns for family reunions.



To help physically challenged residents, the Taipei City Government used specially-designed buses to help take wheelchair-bound residents to Dajia Riverside Park.



They thanked Mayor Hau Lung-bin for the arrangement and the chance to take part in the festivities. Otherwise, they said, they could only gaze at the moon from their small apartments.



New immigrants who married into local families said the festivities are an entirely new and thrilling experience for them.



Hau, who formerly served as EPA chief, reminded the participants of helping to clean up public areas before going home.



City health officials took the opportunity to teach residents the most healthy way to have barbecues.



They suggested using natural and whole sticks of coal rather than the fragmented or reprocessed coal added with chemicals. Stainless grills, though more expensive, are more healthy and can be reused for years, compared to grills made of galvanized steel wire.



People attending public BBQs should also try to bring utensils, cutlery and chopsticks from home, instead of using one-time-only disposable cutlery.



For meat, they said, people should first cut out the fat to reduce the amount of lard dripping into the fire, creating harmful substances.



Officials also criss-crossed the BBQ grounds to remind participants in the barbecue activities to refrain from littering in the public space.



The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, is one of the most important traditional festivals for locals.



It falls on Aug. 15 on the Chinese lunar calendar for family reunions and a time of thanks-giving and for expressing appreciation for harvests in the autumn season. This year, the festival took place yesterday.



Besides appreciating the bright full moon, moon cakes and seasonal pomelo fruits are an essential part of the festivities.



The inception of the widespread practice of holding barbecues was mainly started by a local sauce company that ran a popular and successful TV commercial promoting their sauce for cooking and especially for barbecues.