Executive Producer James Smith said it was rare for a building to trust a climber and allow such an event to take place, calling Taipei 101 “a real icon of this country”.
Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, a crown currently held by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Richard Bode, 34, said watching the event was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”.
Another onlooker, Benson, 24, called the climb “incredibly brave”, while others, like Lin Chia-jou, 54, told AFP that she found it “terrifying” but admired Honnold for the hard work he’d put into achieving his dream.
Taipei 101 chairwoman Janet Chia said on Saturday on Threads that it was touching to hear that fans had travelled from Singapore, Hong Kong and southern Taiwan to watch the climb and apologised for the delay in the event.
“But this epic event is definitely worth the wait,” Chia added.
Taiwanese politicians also took to social media to thank Honnold and Netflix for putting Taiwan – more accustomed to featuring in global headlines for its semiconductor prowess or Chinese military threats – in the international spotlight with such a different perspective.
“Congratulations to the brave, fearless Alex for completing the challenge,” President Lai Ching-te wrote on his Facebook page.
“Through Netflix’s live broadcast cameras, the world didn’t just see Taipei 101 – it also saw the warmth and passion of the Taiwanese people, and the beautiful hills and scenery of this land,” he added.