Did Taiwan President William Lai just get vomited on? Temple visit takes unexpected turn at Lunar New Year event

Taiwan President William Lai splashed with vomit after temple chairman falls ill during Lunar New Year event

William Lai remained calm after a temple chairman suddenly vomited beside him during a Lunar New Year visit in Tainan on Feb 18.

Lai was attending a prayer event at the Sacrificial Rites Martial Temple alongside Huang Wei-che and other local politicians when the incident occurred.

Temple chairman Lin Pei-huo began appearing visibly unwell while standing next to Lai as a speech was being delivered. Moments later, he turned away and attempted to cover his mouth but was unable to stop himself from vomiting. Footage from the event showed that while Lai avoided the worst of it, some vomit splashed onto his shoulder.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te was accidentally splashed with vomit while handing out Lunar New Year red envelopes at a temple.

The temple chairman suddenly felt unwell and vomited during a speech. pic.twitter.com/AtNYxrX9CY

— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 18, 2026

Despite the sudden disruption, Lai, who previously worked as a physician, reportedly checked on Lin afterward to ensure he was stable.

Addressing attendees, Lai explained that several of Lin’s family members had recently contracted norovirus and suggested the chairman may have fallen ill as well. He later confirmed that Lin’s condition had stabilized.

Lin subsequently apologized for the incident, saying his son and daughter-in-law had been sick with norovirus and that he likely caught it too.

“I’m really sorry I couldn’t help it,” he said, adding that he would likely rest and recover naturally rather than seek medical treatment.