One of the noisiest Lunar New Year festivals of the year is also one of the most dangerous. The Yanshui Fireworks Festival in southern Taiwan saw at least 70 people get injured as they witnessed this cacophonous celebration.
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That was the Yanshui Beehive Festival on Sunday. CNN has called it one of “the world’s most dangerous festivals” for good reason. Many people came to see the two million firecrackers that were set off in the sleepy town of Yanshui in southern Taiwan. Tourists from Japan said it was really fun!
An eight-year old boy got a kick out of setting off some firecrackers right next to himself while he donned himself in protective gear. The boy says it was exciting and fun!
After being suspended during the pandemic, the Yanshui festival came back in full force this year and about 600,000 people came for the explosive experience. But at least 70 people got hurt, like this man, whose pants got burnt off from the firecrackers. The firecrackers then burned his skin. The firecrackers also hit this 13-year old boy’s eyelids so he got sent to the hospital. He said he wore a helmet but the explosions hit his eye anyway. This is what some of those firecrackers did to this helmet which led to a burn on the owner’s neck.
Despite the dangers, these people still came to join this notorious festival which lasts all night long.Tradition has it that the noisy firecrackers are supposed to help people stay healthy by scaring away diseases. The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is held on the first day of the Lantern Festival and is one of the three largest folk festivals in the world.