Typhoon Kong-rey, the 21st typhoon of this year, made landfall in the southeastern Taitung County of China's Taiwan region at around 14:00 on Thursday afternoon, causing one death and leaving 73 others injured.
Due to severe weather conditions, work and school were suspended across the island, with local authorities urging residents to stay indoors. The typhoon also brought massive disruption to travel, with most trains, flights and ferries canceled.
As of 14:00 on Thursday, a total of 9,658 residents have been evacuated to safety.
The counties of Hualien and Taitung in the eastern part of the island have experienced strong winds throughout the day, along with continuous heavy and torrential rain which caused major water logging in multiple areas.
Kong-rey is the strongest typhoon to hit Taiwan in the past decade, according to the island's meteorological department.
Typhoon Kong-rey kills 1, injures 73 after landing in Taiwan
More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.
The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.
In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.
"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.
To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.
In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.
"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.
In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.
"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.
Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners
