Devotees withstand a torrent of fireworks at one of Taiwan’s best-known religious festivals.
To celebrate Lantern Festival, residents of Yanshui District in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City transform the streets into a kind of free-fire zone. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, thousands of brave souls wearing helmets, thick jackets and gloves withstand millions of fireworks launched from roadside platforms.
This unique tradition is known as Yanshui Beehive Fireworks. The title is said to derive from either the bee-like sound of the constant volleys or the visual of the incessant torrent, like unrelenting streams of the insects bolting from their hives.
Legend has it that the custom started in 1885 as a way of fighting a plague. Locals appealed to Guan Yu, god of war, for salvation and received instruction that he and his guide Gen. Zhou Cang would patrol the area on the evening of the festival. To dispel the disease, they were instructed to trail the deities while setting off fireworks. The resulting procession reputedly lasted until dawn, after which the illness vanished.
Residents carry on the practice to prevent the plague from returning. For the people of Yanshui, this baptism of fire blows away bad fortune for the upcoming year.
—by Jim Hwang
Locals believe that this baptism of fire blows away bad luck for the upcoming year. (Photos courtesy of Liu Zong-dian, Li Gong-de and Zhan Sheng-xian, Yanshui Wu Temple Management Committee)
Protective god of war charms are issued to the devotees responsible for erecting the roadside firework launchers. (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)
A launcher can be armed with hundreds or even thousands of fireworks. (Photos by Chin Hung-hao)