February 27, 2021

YANSHUI BEEHIVE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL 2021

Back in 2018, we posted a blog about the Yanshui beehive fireworks festival, where we discovered the reason why they held the festival every year.

Sadly, back then, Asia was deep in a pandemic for nearly 20 years. The diseases had a devastating effect, until a shaman summoned the God Guan Gong (the God of War in China) to dispel the evil spirits, the deity agreed to attend as long as there was fireworks.

The fireworks symbolise the exorcism of demons associated with the plague. Some say that the sulphur from the fireworks killed the cholera bacteria and the loud bangs scared away the rats carrying the plague, hence, saving the city.

This year, the Yanshui beehive fireworks festival was nearly cancelled due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The argument to cancel the event was largely due to the mass gatherings. But, the argument for the event to go ahead, was down to the reason that the original festival started because of a pandemic...

In the end a decision was made, “in order to show respect to the gods”, Tainan City Council and Yanshui Wu Miao temple decided to keep the event going.