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.
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