Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival

"This is undeniably one of the world's most dangerous celebrations"

- CNN Travel -

"An explosive start to the Chinese New Year in Taiwan"

- Al Jazeera  -

"Visitors from around the world have prepared full-body protection gear to enjoy standing in the middle of the storm of fireworks as they go off"

- Formosa News -

EVERY JANUARY 14-16 OF THE LUNAR CALENDAR, thousands of soaring firecrackers are set off into the crowd at Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival. People believe that running through the flying fireworks brings luck all year. 

The beehives are launching towers densely stacked with as many as 600,000 small stick-like rocket fireworks. Once the towers are lit, all the fireworks shoot out at the same time like a swarm of bees stirred from a nest.

The Festival originated at the end of the 19th century when Yanshui was hit by a plague. Now the Beehive Fireworks Festival has become a hugely popular attraction not only for Yanshui Residents but also for people from around the world.

Story of God and Beehive Fireworks

Lord Guan saved the village by asking the townspeople to launch fireworks!

In 1885, Yanshui was severely smitten by plague. Caused by a hantavirus in rat droppings, the plague spread rapidly, claiming the lives of nearly a thousand people. The panicking populace flocked to Wu Temple to pray for Lord Guan’s guidance on how to save themselves from this terrible pestilence, which had ravaged the town for a quarter of a century. 

The merciful Lord Guan sent message that his holy palanquin should be carried round every street of the town on three successive days, in a procession led by his loyal general Zhou Cang, and that fireworks should be set off everywhere behind it. After these three days, as if by a miracle, the plague was gradually brought under control, and did not take any more lives.

Scientific Proof

While everyone rejoiced at this outcome, some remained skeptical about its miraculous nature. So they had the fireworks tested, and found that their four ingredients of sulfur, nitric acid, iron filings, and carbon dust, when combusted together, acted as an effective germ-killer that stopped the spread of the plague.

Story of God

Lord Guan, the Red-Faced God

Guan Gong, also known as the Holy Emperor Guan or Lord Guan, is Asia’s God of War and Martial Arts. Lord Guan was born in 160 AD, a historical figure that played an important role as a military commander in the period of the Three Kingdoms and became a folk hero. He is the symbol of the virtues of a Confucian personality, including concern for the common good, righteousness in action, and loyalty to the country, superiors, and friends.

Story of the Temple

Dedicated to the God of War and Martial Arts

Yanshui Wu Temple is dedicated to Guan Yu, the Taoist God of War and Martial Arts, commonly known as "Guan Gong" in Chinese and Lord Guan, or sometimes Emperor Guan, in English.

More than 300 Years of History

The original Yanshui Wu Temple was built of wood in about the 16th century, during the Qing dynasty (the last dynasty). The temple is quite different from the old one, transformed from a simple wooden structure into one of ornate and magnificent beauty.

How to wear protections?

Become a helmeted mob; be local and be safe. 

It is both a common practice and safety measure that people wear protections to prevent any fireworks from getting into clothes or helmet.

how to enter and leave a temple

We enter the temple through the door of the dragon (on your right-hand side when you face the temple), to solicit good fortune, and leave through the door of the tiger on the other side, to be rid of bad luck. Never use the middle door, which is for deities only.

Praying and drawing a fortune stick

Ask the Gods for help for making decision

Qin qian are long flat sticks used in temples for consulting the gods. They are inscribed with Chinese characters of heavenly stems and earthly branches. The steps are as follows:

3. Next, you cast the jiao bei(moon blocks), a pair of crescent-shaped blocks with one flat side and one curved side. The way in which these land will tell you whether the god approves of your proposal, opposes it, or does not understand it. If you do not get the right answer, you can repeat the whole process, perhaps asking the question in a different way. 

Architectural Features - door gods

Golden Dragons

Door gods are important elements of Taiwan’s temple iconography. But whereas most of Taiwan’s temples have deities as door gods, Yanshui Wu Temple has golden dragons. There is a popular saying that goes: “When two dragons intertwine, harmony will prevail between yin and yang, and the weather will smile benignly on man.”  Thus, the golden dragon door gods symbolize the bringing of good weather for the people to enjoy rich harvests and the country to be peaceful and orderly.

One of the golden dragons is a heaven dragon, and the other an earth dragon. The heaven dragon, representing yang, looks up to the sky, while the earth dragon, representing yin, looks down at the ground.

Architectural Features - The stone lions

The stone lions at Yanshui Wu Temple should only be looked at, and should not be touched, because people’s body heat will accelerate their weathering. There used to be teeth and jewels sculpted on them, but these are no longer visible as a result of weathering. Such details gradually wear away and cannot be restored. Therefore, visitors are strongly urged not to touch the lions.

Architectural Features - "Foolish Foreigners"

Han Fan

Under the eaves near the two front corners of the temple are two carvings of “han fan”, which translates roughly as “foolish foreigners,” representing the Dutch who invaded and occupied Taiwan in the early 17^thcentury. Such han fan can only be seen in very old temples of central and southern Taiwan.

It is said that the craftsmen of the temples had a strong dislike for the Dutch, whom they viewed as mistreating Taiwanese. So they made these Dutchmen figures to carry the weight of the temples roof.

Architectural Features - S-shaped double-hook wall locks

A technique learned from the Dutch

The S-shaped double-hook wall locks are a Taiwanese variation of a building technique learned from the Dutch. Such s-shaped hooks are typically seen in temples, whereas scissor-shaped hooks are more common in ordinary housing. The purpose of such wall locks is to couple the wall and beam together so that they will not move. They are generally regarded as decoration, while some local people believe they can help ward off evil spirits.

Architectural Features - Yulian Temple, at the back of Wu Temple

Four joys in life

When you visit Wu Temple, you must also take a look at Yulian Temple behind it. Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhu said that there are four great joys in life: (1) a downpour after a long drought; (2) an encounter with old friend in an unfamiliar city, (3) the intimacy of one’s wedding night, and (4) passing the exam to become a government official. 

The modern take of the four great joys in life: see if you can find them!

In more modern times, there are four simple actions we can enjoy in everyday life, namely: (1) stretching; (2) nose picking; (3) ear digging; and (4) back rubbing. Depictions of these four small enjoyments are carved upon the two dragon pillars of Yulian Temple. Let's see if you can find them all!

Online Voice Tour

1. A short introduction to Yanshui Wu Temple and Lord Guan (1:12)

2. Introducing the Beehive Fireworks Festival and how it originated (2:29)

3. Inside Wu Temple, Door Gods (1:26)

4. Yulian Temple, at the back of Wu Temple (1:04)

5. Special features of the temple: The roof (0:48)

6. Special features of the temple: S-shaped double hook wall locks (0:38)

7. Special features of the temple: The central plaque (0:27)

8. Special features of the temple: The stone lions (0:32)

9. Etiquette of the temple: How to enter and leave the temple (0:23)

10. Etiquette of the temple: Praying and drawing a fortune stick (1:14)

Event - Tainan Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival

https://www.twtainan.net/yanshuifireworks/en

(14~15, the first month on the lunar calendar)

@Yanshui Wu Temple

Lord Guan chair will depart from the temple and parade through Yanshui. Followers along the way will set off firework racks in front of their doorways.

@Yanshui Junior High

The main firework rack will be set up on the sports field of Yanshui Junior High. A large quantity of beehive fireworks will be lit simultaneously for participants to experience the excitement of "running through the beehive fireworks."

@Through the entire district

Lord Guan chair will parade through the entire district, and followers along the way will set of beehive fireworks.

Event - Yuejin Lantern Festival

Breath with the Light

@Yuejin Road, Yanshui Dist., Tainan Taiwan
@Kangli Road, Yanshui Dist., Tainan Taiwan

https://www.facebook.com/yuejinlanternfestival/

An immersive and emotional experience

Every year, artistic lantern works by art groups of 20 countries are exquisitely displayed on the water of Yuejin Harbor Water Park. With a different theme each year, it takes you into a living dream world every time with pleasant surprises.