Legendary American free solo climber Alex Honnold, renowned as "the world's most audacious climber," successfully climbed the glass exterior of Taipei 101 in a breathtaking 91-minute ascent without ropes or safety equipment on January 25.
This extremely high-risk challenge not only captured Taiwan's attention but was simultaneously broadcast globally through Netflix's international streaming platform. When he successfully reached the summit of 101, netizens erupted with excitement, exclaiming, "This is insane! Spider-Man actually exists."
After the ascent, Taipei 101 Chairwoman Chia Yung-peiposted a short video on social media, stating that she had known about the ascent in advance and had placedTaiwanese flags at all levels of the building.
The video showcased 101 against a blue sky and white clouds, with multiple flags of the Republic of China fluttering in the wind in front of the building.
As Netflix's live broadcast frequently employed wide-angle shots, this sea of flags was transmitted to global audiences throughout the streaming.
Netizens flooded the comments section with praise, thanking the chairman "for letting the world see Taiwan."
Chia watched thelive stream of the climb alongside other netizens, barely containing her nervous excitement throughout, crying out as Honnold reached the summit, "Success! Success! I can retire now!"
When Chia met Honnold afterward, she embraced him emotionally. While Honnold appeared remarkably composed after completing his extreme sport feat, Chia joked self-deprecatingly, "I'm completely exhausted, and I wasn't even the one climbing." （Related： No Fear at 508 Meters in the Air, How Free Climber Alex Honnold Scaled Taipei 101 ｜ Latest ）
