Yen Shui

I was finally, after 5 years, able to attend the famed fireworks extravaganza that the small town of Yen Shui puts on every year to celebrate Lantern Festival. I took the train down and was a little apprehensive that I might have missed it .... as there was some dispute amoung my students if it was celebrated on Saturday or Sunday. Just as I was starting to worry that I had missed it and my trip was all for naught. I caught sight of fireworks through the train window. A short cab ride later I began the walk to the center of Yen Shui. The entire time different fireworks were going off . This is no exaggeration .... the fireworks were going off continuously, albeit from different locations for the entire time I was in Yen Shui, about 5 hours. Now Yen Shui is not famed for the amount of fireworks, which I was suitable impressed with, they are famed for the way they set the fireworks off. They have huge lanterns set up in the streets, then they unwrap them to reveal the under structures which are lined up and down with fireworks.

A crowd gathers around in front of the fireworks, dressed from top to bottom in protective gear. Then they set the fireworks off into the crowd.


Everyone jumps en masse as the firecrackers explode around you.



When the fire storm is finished you walk down the street to await the next set of fireworks.

It's exhilerating, thrilling and not a little bit scary. But I do believe this is one of the only places on the globe where you can be in the midst of a firecracker storm. .... In Taiwan of all places

.... for me this goes next to the running of the bulls in Pamplona .... or Carnival in Rio ..... Lantern Festival in Yen Shui. I am sooo glad I was finally able to experience it. Words don't do it justice .... it's something you must experience to understand.