Approximately two million (estimation ranged from 1.2[1] to 2.3 million depending on the reporting media) Taiwanese formed a 500-kilometer (310 mi) long human chain from Keelung to Pingtung County to commemorate the incident, to call for peace, and to protest the deployment of missiles by the People's Republic of China aimed at Taiwan along the coast.

Although billed as "non-political", the event was organized by the Pan-Green Coalition and took place only a few weeks before the 2004 Taiwanese presidential election.

Some of the symbolism of the demonstration, particularly at the point in the event where participants "turn away from China" veered clearly toward support of Taiwanese independence, and hence was not attended by members of the Pan-Blue Coalition who countered the demonstration with an island-wide rally of their own days later.

The human chain started at the northern tip of Taiwan in Hoping Island near Keelung, stretched 500 kilometers through 18 Taiwanese cities and counties, and ended in Pingtung County.

[2] In Taipei, people linked hands in front of the Presidential Office Building.