| My trip to the Tainan Fireworks festival in 1995. I'm not sure if they have these anymore, every year people would get burned or blinded. Quite an experience. It is said that the Fireworks Festival originated from a cholera epidemic that broke out in Yenshui of Tainan County in early ruling period of Kuanghsu Emperor of Ching Dynasty (around 1875) and lasted for more than twenty years, it nearly swept away all the people in the town. In order to drive out the evil spirits and ward off the disease, the survivors invited the spirit of Kuan Kung Kuan Kung： 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 statue of Kuan Kung in palanquins was paraded around Yenshui with masses of firecrackers, and the epidemic was soon receded. Since that there has been the celebration activity every year, and the custom featuring a nineteenth-century plague expulsion ritual becomes today the unique and spectacular Yenshui Swarm of Fireworks. |
