Rushing toward the fireworks carts to be showered with sparks, the more sparks you touch, the luckier you 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 three great folk festivals in the world and listed among the top 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 every year, depending on the lunar calendar.

The history of the festival dates back to the late 19th century, when a plague was spreading across the Yanshui District of Tainan City. According to folklore, the locals decided to seek help from Guan Gong, the god of justice and courage. Guan Gong said he would hold a parade through town with lanterns and fireworks to drive away evil spirits and the plague, on the condition that the spectators set off fireworks as they followed the palanquin. The procession lasted from night to 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 luck and health.

The unique feature of this festival is the “beehive fireworks”, also known as “bee cocoon fireworks”. These are large firework carts loaded with thousands of fireworks. When lit, they shoot countless sparks into the air and create a wonderful scene but are also extremely noisy and dangerous. Visitors and locals must wear protective clothing, including masks, helmets and thick coats, to protect themselves from sparks and direct contact with the fireworks.

In addition to “bee cocoon fireworks”, this festival also has many other special types of fireworks such as traditional firecrackers, which add to the excitement and bustle of the festival atmosphere; Rocket Fireworks which are shot into the sky at high speed, creating large and bright flowers of fire; or cascading fireworks - a type of fireworks that creates long streams of fire and falls from above, creating an impressive and attractive performance.

This is considered one of the most dangerous fireworks festivals in the world because the fireworks are launched in an unorganized and uncontrolled manner. Unlike other fireworks festivals, festival-goers in Yanshui often have no safe area to stand and must protect themselves from the risk of being hit by the fireworks. This creates an exciting but also risky atmosphere, requiring high vigilance from attendees and organizers.

Mr. Thi Chi Tung, a long-time tour guide from Taiwan, revealed: “When I was a child, this festival was so crowded that I didn’t need to walk, I just followed the crowd and lifted myself up and moved from one street to another.” Mr. Tung also said that many people who did not wear protective gear could easily encounter some accidents such as skin burns and scarring. Therefore, many first-time visitors to this festival often wear very protective gear but still stand very far away to get air mainly.

Before joining the crowd in the festival on the streets with the firework palanquin, many people often “warm up” by lighting fireworks after dusk. The type of fireworks often used in birthday parties is also very popular and is sold a lot on Diem Thuy street so that visitors can easily buy and light them themselves.

The Yanshui Fireworks Festival usually lasts for 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 day of the lunar month (ie Lantern Festival).

The Yanshui Fireworks Festival is not only a colorful cultural event but also a manifestation of faith and courage. It attracts thousands of participants and tourists from all over the world to witness and participate in one of the most unique fireworks festivals in the world. Once familiar with it, many tourists, after wearing protective gear like astronauts, even want to experience "walking towards the bee cocoon" to have thousands of sparks shoot at them, wishing for a new year as vibrant and brilliant as this special fireworks display.

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