Tainan has a tradition during the winter solstice that people believe scares away fire demons. It’s a practice that’s been in place for 135 years.
A Taoist priest is performing a ritual that is meant to drive away fire demons. After lighting the firecrackers, the priest then leads a procession to chase the fire gods out of the village. Every household is asked to turn off the lights in their houses. What’s special this year is that Taiwan Power Company offered to turn off all the street lights as well.
The Baoji Temple in Tainan’s Jiangjun District has been holding the ceremony every winter solstice for 135 years. They started the tradition because in the old days, making cotton quilts was a common trade in the area and houses back then had thatched roofs. Everyone used this practice to avoid fires. It then became a tradition that has been passed down to the next generation.