Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival 2013 鹽水蜂炮
This year’s guide and schedule to Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival can be found here: http://www.wumiao.idv.tw/
On the 14th of the first lunar month (Saturday, Feb 23rd Gregorian calendar) a temple parade leaves the Yanshui Wu Temple at 8am.
At 6PM there will be three groups of gods (Line A, B and C) leaving from the Yanshui Wu Temple. You will want to be wearing protective clothing and helmet as these groups stand in front of walls of bottle rockets. If you don’t know what Yanshui is all about, see my post here. Choose a line and follow the group for the whole night or break off and find another line.
On the 15th of the first lunar month (Sunday Feb 24th Gregorian calendar) two parades leave the Yanshui Wu Temple, one at 7:30 bound for Xinying and one at noon.
At 6PM there will be four groups of gods (Line A, B, C and D) leaving from the Yanshui Wu Temple. My personal favorite is the line that goes behind the temple (I’m not sure if this is abc or d without pulling out a map of Yanshui) because the first big wall is a screw factory that has a huge wall. A nice start to the festival. There is usually a special wall, often made by a tea shop that will be set off as a special event sometime during the night that is worth asking where when and what it is. If you last the whole night the final wall is quite fun because all the god chairs come together for it.
If you are going to try to photograph the festival my photographing Yanshui guide might help: http://thetaiwanphotographer.com/tear-sheet-yanshui-beehive-fireworks-festival-in-action-asia/
And some of my photographs and some more information about the fireworks festival here: http://thetaiwanphotographer.com/projects/yanshui-beehive-fireworks-festival-guide-%E9%B9%BD%E6%B0%B4%E8%9C%82%E7%82%AE/
Will be there!
Have fun, Nick Rostron! I’m skipping this year’s festival. I am hoping to get to Taidung for my first ever Bombing Handan Festival.
Was planning on making it, but we wimped out for the 2nd year in a row due to a busy Chinese New Year schedule and the need for rest.
I understand, Joshua Fahler. Yanshui is tiring. I’m glad to not have to get all my Yanshui gear together this year!
I googled bombing handen festival but nothing came up?
http://www.facebook.com/groups/127196243980950/
http://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw/Portal/Content.aspx?lang=2&p=204050001 (Scroll to bottom for English explanation)
Much better explanation here:
http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/en/content?ID=4469
Awesome photos! I made this video last year… shooting video on a 50mm 1.8 opened all the way up is not fun, but hopefully my abilities overcame my technical limitations.
http://youtu.be/nkn3GqA7UUk
Awesome video, thanks for sharing. Yanshui really needs video with sound to be appreciated!