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Gallery|Arts and Culture

An explosive start to the Chinese New Year in Taiwan

In this 19th-century festival, legend has it, cholera ravaged Yanshui until the god of war was summoned with fireworks.

CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
A 'beehive' loaded with hundred of thousands of rockers is set off into the crowd at the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. Legend has it that the festival originated during a cholera outbreak in the 19th century. Such platforms fire around 200,000 rockets in two directions. It is considered 'lucky' to be struck by a rocket. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
By Dave Tacon
Published On 13 Feb 201713 Feb 2017
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Yanshui, Taiwan – The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is unquestioningly one the world’s most dangerous celebrations. Essential attire includes motorcycle helmets, ear plugs and old, non-flammable clothes. Crowds gather around ‘beehives’: firework launching platforms that can fire can fire up to 600,000 rockets in two directions.

Legend has it that the festival originated during a cholera outbreak in the 19th century. According to Wu Zenhung, chief secretary of Da Tzung Temple, cholera ravaged Yanshui until a local shaman summoned Guan Gong, the god of war. Guan Gong agreed to appear on the condition that he was greeted with fireworks.

“The sulphur in the firecrackers killed the germs,” explains Wu, who grew up with the annual tradition. His earliest memory is preparing boxes of fireworks with his family as the community competed for Guan Gong’s favour with ever increasing arsenals at Chinese New Year.

“Commercial sponsorship has made the beehives bigger than ever,” says Wu. “But it’s not as dangerous as it was 30 or 40 years ago. No one used to wear helmets and, sometimes, bystanders got hit.”

The Bombing of Master Handan, which takes place simultaneously in Taitung, 250km southeast by road, involves brave men dressed in little more than red boxer shorts, a red bandana and a yellow scarf. As they are paraded on sedan chairs, masked men from local temples hurl “bombs” made of firecrackers at their bare flesh. This ritual is intended to please a local god, Handan, who cannot stand the cold. The firecrackers are intended to warm Master Handan, so that the people of Taitung will be blessed. It is also rumoured to be a gangster initiation rite.

The Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival and the Bombing of Master Handan, took place on February 10 and 11.

CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Members of Shung family pray and light incense in front of a 'beehive' rocket launching platform (not pictured). According to local legend, the festival originated when locals set off fireworks after calling upon Gaun Gong, the god of war, to rid the town of a two-decade long cholera epidemic. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
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CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Firecrackers are ignited at the base of sedan chairs carrying holy figures at the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. This celebration is said to be the third-largest folk festival in the world. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
A member of Sheun Wu Temple is readied for the Bombing of Master Handan Festival. The festival, now part of Taiwan's nationwide Lantern Festival, is rumoured to have evolved from a gangster initiation ritual and is now a tourist draw. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Firecrackers explode around a participant of the Bombing of Master Handan Festival. Master Handan (who this year was represented by around 40 participants) wears only red shorts, a bandana and a wet towel. Participants wear ear plugs and protective goggles, but only a carry a bunch of banyan tree branches for protection. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
A crowd wearing motorcycle helmets wait for rockets to be launched directly at them during the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
A 'beehive' in the form of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is launched at the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. The structure is more than four metres square and loaded with 15,000 rockets. Adherents to Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism seek to honour Guan Gong, the god of war, with fireworks and receive the god’s blessing for the Chinese New Year. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
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CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Shen Mong Chang and his grandmother, Huang Tsui Yu, play on the eve of the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. Chang's grandfather and his family constructed a 'beehive' fireworks launching platform in the shape of the boy's favourite cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
A man in face paint from a traditional opera takes part in a procession at the opening festivities at the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
One of the first 'beehives' is launched at the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. Due to the danger of being struck by flying rocket, attendees improvise protective measures, including fireproof clothing and motorcycle helmets. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Members of Sheun Wu Temple gather bundles of firecrackers for the Bombing of Master Handan Festival. These bundles are lit and then hurled at bare-chested participants who believe they are protected by Handan, a local deity. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Visitors at the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, many carrying plastic cases containing statues of Guan Gong, the god of war, turn their backs to an onslaught of small rockets shot from a 'beehive' are launching platforms during the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Firecracker debris from the Bombing of Master Handan Festival in which bundles of firecrackers are hurled at participants. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Local school children in traditional costume with percussion instruments walk in a procession during the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival that greets the first moon of the Lunar New Year. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]
CHINESE NEW YEAR IN TAIWAN/ PLEASE DO NOT USE
Firecrackers explode around a participant of the Bombing of Master Handan Festival. Although participants are given a bunch of birch branches for protection, most choose to hold the branch aloft and let the bombs of firecrackers explode near their bare flesh. [Dave Tacon/Al Jazeera]


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