Rushing towards the fireworks floats to be hit by the sparks, believing that the more sparks that hit them, the luckier they will be in the new year, is a folk tradition at the Yanshui Fireworks Festival, held in Tainan City every year during the Lantern Festival.

Dubbed one of the world's three major folk festivals and included in the list of the 10 most dangerous festivals, the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival (also known as the Beehive Fireworks Festival) is usually held around the time of the Lantern Festival, in February or March each year, depending on the lunar calendar.

The history of the festival dates back to the late 19th century, when a plague spread throughout Yanshui District in Tainan City. According to folklore, the local people decided to seek help from the god Guan Yu, the god of justice and courage. Guan Yu said he would hold a parade through the town with lanterns and fireworks to drive away evil spirits and the plague, on the condition that those following him light firecrackers as they walked behind his palanquin. The procession lasted from night until morning, and the plague disappeared. Since then, the festival has become an important part of local culture and is held annually as a way to pray for good fortune and health.

The unique feature of this festival is the "beehive fireworks," also known as "bee cocoon fireworks." These are large floats filled with thousands of fireworks. When lit, they release countless sparks into the air, creating a spectacular but incredibly noisy and dangerous spectacle. Visitors and locals must wear protective gear, including masks, helmets, and thick jackets, to protect themselves from sparks and fireworks coming into direct contact with their skin.

Besides the "bee cocoon fireworks," this festival also features many other unique fireworks such as traditional firecrackers, adding to the excitement and vibrancy of the festival atmosphere; rocket fireworks, which are launched into the sky at high speed, creating large and bright bursts of fire; and cascading fireworks – a type of fireworks that creates long streams of fire falling from above, forming an impressive and captivating display.

This is considered one of the most dangerous fireworks festivals in the world due to the disorganized and uncontrolled launching of fireworks. Unlike other fireworks festivals, attendees at the Yanshui Festival often lack safe areas to stand and must protect themselves from being hit by fireworks. This creates an exciting but risky atmosphere, requiring high vigilance from both attendees and organizers.

Thi Chi Tung, a long-time tour guide from Taiwan, revealed: "When I was a child, this festival was so crowded that you didn't need to walk; you'd just be lifted up by the crowd and carried from street to street." Tung also noted that many people without proper protective gear easily suffer injuries such as burns and scarring. Therefore, many first-time visitors to the festival often wear protective gear but still stand far away, mainly to enjoy the atmosphere.

Before joining the crowds in the festival streets with their firecrackers, many people often "warm up" by setting off fireworks after dusk. Sparklers, commonly used for birthdays, are also very popular and widely sold on the streets of Yanshui, making it easy for tourists to buy and light them themselves.

The Yanshui Fireworks Festival typically lasts 15 to 16 days, starting on the 14th day of the first lunar month and ending on the 15th day of the second or third lunar month. However, the main days of the festival are usually from the 14th to the 15th of the lunar month (i.e., the Lantern Festival).

The Yanshui Fireworks Festival is not only a colorful cultural event but also an expression of faith and courage. It attracts thousands of participants and tourists from all over the world to witness and participate in one of the world's most unique fireworks festivals. Once accustomed to it, many tourists, after equipping themselves with full protective gear like astronauts, even want to experience "walking towards the bee cocoon" to be hit by thousands of sparks, hoping for a vibrant and brilliant new year, just like this spectacular fireworks display.

Video from the world's most dangerous fireworks festival in Taiwan: