Attended the Yanshui Fireworks Festival (Yan Shui Feng Pao) Festival in Tainan County last night. Just another one of those boring cultural festivals. Well, except for the part where giant trucks of fireworks and bottle rockets are ignited in the middle of entranced crowds in motorcycle helmets jumping up and down as if they’re in a mosh pit. I shot the above video while ducking exploding fireworks going off around me. (Watch it in HD, 720 or 1080p). Wikipedia takes care of the history of the event:
It is said that the Fireworks Festival originated from a cholera epidemic which broke out in the early ruling period of Kuanghsu Emperor of Ching Dynasty (around 1875) and lasted for more than twenty years.
In order to drive out the evil spirits and ward off the disease, the survivors invited the spirit of Kuan Kung (Kuan Ti), the Chinese god of war. Kuan Kung is worshipped as the God of War; since he was adept at managing finances, he is also worshipped as the patron saint of businessmen.
The deities of Heaven are able to inspect the land on the day of Lantern Festival by carrying the statue of Kuan Kung in palanquins and paraded around Yanshui and letting off masses of firecrackers, and the epidemic soon receded.
The most important of Yanshui’s prominent fireworks are the so-called “bee hives”, essentially multiple launchers of bottle rockets. These rocket forts are actually thousands of bottle rockets arranged row atop row in an iron-and-wooden framework. The setup looks like a beehive full of unleashed gunpowder. When the contraption is ignited, rockets shoot out rapidly in all directions. Dazzling explosives whiz and whirl across the sky and often into the crowd itself, both thrilling and intimidating the spectators.
5 responses so far ↓
1 Nathan // Mar 2, 2010 at 1:23 am
that is some kick ass quality video! surprised the blue truck didn’t explode for the grand huzzah
2 Shinsano // Mar 2, 2010 at 2:01 pm
It’s celebrated here in Korea, but much more low key…a few bonfire type things, but I think the focus of the holiday is more on the food, eating different grains in your rice and making a wish on the full moon. At least that’s what we did. No fireworks. Until my wife and I retired to the boudoir.
3 ceap hosting // Jul 9, 2010 at 8:18 pm
After 5 years, “Bao Long” Jerry Yan is releasing a new album. The date of his album release coincided with “rumoured gf” – Ella’s birthday. When probed, he did not shun the question and said the album is a gift for her birthday.
Jerry Yan’s press conference for his new album attracted hundreds of fans from different countries. Amongst them is a chic Japanese girl who had come to Taiwan specially to study in order to be nearer to him.
Waves of screams of exhilaration one after another, after a 5-year lapse, Jerry’s new album attracted fans from all over the world to gather in Taiwan. Just look at the entourage from Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Canada etc, it is indeed like the “10 allied countries” coming together.
Not only is there a Japanese girl who moved to Taiwan for Jerry’s sake, the fans would follow him wherever he goes. The mothers-group from Hong Kong is the most passionate, and would report at Jerry’s event for over 5 hours prior to that each time, just so as to admire his latest MV. And all of them will be very immersed in the MVs.
His former “rumoured gf” – Lin Chiling’s flower basket was placed by the side, while “newly rumoured gf” Ella send him a greeting via video clip. Jerry also graciously said, the album release date was chosen to coincide with Ella’s birthday (sy: the date was more like selected by Jerry’s company. Media is just playing it up. Watch the vid to note Jerry’s exact words). Regardless the authenticity of such “romance rumours”, fans will not waver in their support! They are devoted to Jerry’s every charm and charisma.
4 DJ // Jul 10, 2010 at 5:12 am
Jerry Yan had sex with my dog.
5 Shinsano // Jul 26, 2010 at 3:19 pm
And my two cats. They walk funny now.
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