A military police officer guides people to an underground space that will be used as an air-raid shelter in the event of an attack, during a drill in Taipei. Taiwan has vowed to defend itself and has made strengthening its defences a priority, with regular military and civil defence drills

A customer gets a haircut at a barber shop in an underground shopping centre between two metro stations, which will be used as an air-raid shelter in the event of an attack

A participant in first aid training looks at a booklet with illustrations of the Taiwan armed forces and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army

Girls practise their dance moves at an underground square between two metro stations. The capital has more than 4,600 such shelters that can accommodate 12 million people, more than four times its population

Women demonstrate taking shelter and covering their eyes and ears while keeping their mouth open, to minimise the impact of blast waves, during a drill at a basement parking lot that will be used as an air-raid shelter in the event of an attack

Men play ping-pong at a table tennis club in an underground space that could be used as an air-raid shelter beneath a residential building in Taipei

A woman sings at a karaoke bar in an underground space beneath a residential building

Volunteers place a fake wound on a participant during first aid training. Last month, Taiwan held a comprehensive air-raid exercise across the island for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted regular drills

Commuters ride an escalator in an underground metro station, which could be used as an air-raid shelter

A masseur works at a massage parlour in an underground shopping centre between two metro stations

An instructor shows participants how to transport an injured person with everyday objects during first aid training. Authorities are required by law to keep the shelters clean and open but they do not have to be stocked with supplies such as food and water. Researchers in parliament called in June for shelters to be provided with emergency supplies

Tourists pose for photos at an underground tunnel beneath the Grand hotel

People demonstrate taking shelter with their hands covering their eyes and ears during a drill at a basement parking lot

A man walks past a bookstore in an underground shopping centre between two metro stations that could be used as an air-raid shelter

A poster on a building for a designated air-raid shelter with information on the maximum number of people it can take. Taipei officials have been updating their database of designated shelters, putting their whereabouts on a smartphone app and launching a social media and poster campaign to make sure people know how to find their closest one