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Photos: Taiwan prepares air-raid shelters as China tensions grow

From subway stations to shopping malls, Taiwan is preparing air-raid shelters for the possibility of a Chinese attack.

A person holds a booklet with illustrations of Taiwan armed forces and Chinese People's Liberation Army
A person in Taiwan holds a booklet with illustrations of Taiwanese armed forces and Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces, during a first aid training session in Taipei [Ann Wang/Reuters]
Published On 2 Aug 20222 Aug 2022
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Taiwan is preparing its air-raid shelters as rising tension with China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raise new fears about the possibility of a Chinese attack on the democratic island.

China considers Taiwan its territory and has increased military activity in the air and seas around the island. Taiwan has promised to defend itself and has made strengthening its defences a priority, with regular military and civil defence drills.

The preparations include designating shelters where people can take cover from the possibility of Chinese missiles, not in purpose-built bunkers but in underground spaces such as basement car parks, the subway system and subterranean shopping centres.

The capital city, Taipei, has more than 4,600 such shelters that can accommodate some 12 million people, more than four times its population.

Taipei officials have been updating their database of designated shelters, putting their locations on a smartphone app and launching a social media and poster campaign to make sure people know how to find their closest one.

Air-raid shelter entrances are marked with a yellow label, about the size of an A4 piece of paper, which states the maximum number of people each shelter can hold.

Last month, Taiwan held a comprehensive air-raid exercise across the island for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted regular drills.

Among the instructions given in case of incoming missiles, citizens were told to get down in their basement parking lots and to cover their eyes and ears with their hands while keeping their mouths open, to minimise the impact of blast waves.

Some civil defence advocates say more needs to be done to protect the public.

Authorities are required by law to keep the shelters clean and open but they don’t have to be stocked with supplies like food and water.

Researchers in parliament called in June for shelters to be equipped with emergency supplies.

Enoch Wu, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, says members of the public must prepare survival kits to take with them when they seek shelter.

“What’s important is what you bring with you, for people to stay there for a long period of time,” Wu said, citing medical supplies and even tools to build a makeshift toilet.

After a decade of Beijing’s sabre-rattling across the Taiwan Strait that separates the democratic island from China, many people in Taiwan appear resigned to living with the threat of a Chinese invasion.

Military police officers get into position for a drill on how to guide citizens to safety in the event of an attack
Military police officers get into position for a drill on how to guide citizens to safety in the event of an attack by China. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
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People demonstrate taking shelter with their hands covering their eyes and ears while keeping their mouth open, during a drill at a basement parking lot that will be used as an air-raid shelter
People demonstrate covering their eyes and ears with their hands while keeping their mouths open, during an air-raid drill at a basement parking lot that will be used as a shelter, should China launch an attack. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
An instructor shows participants how to transport an injured person
An instructor shows participants how to transport an injured person with everyday objects during a first aid training session. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
Volunteers place a fake wound on a participant during a first aid training
Volunteers place an imitation wound on a participant during a first aid training session. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
A military police officer guides people to evacuate to an underground space
A military police officer guides people to an underground space that will be used as an air-raid shelter in the event of an attack. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
A label for a designated air-raid shelter
A yellow sign at a building in Taipei indicating that the location is a designated air-raid shelter with information on the maximum number of people it can hold. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
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Tourists pose for photos at an underground tunnel that will be used as an air-raid shelter
Tourists pose for photos in an underground tunnel that will be used as an air-raid shelter. [Ann Wang/Reuters]
Commuters ride an escalator in an underground metro station, which will be used as an air-raid shelter
Commuters ride an escalator in an underground metro station designated as an air-raid shelter. [Ann Wang/Reuters]


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