Of course, we have no fireworks back home. One firecracker could set the entire state into one huge fireball.
This general prohibition cuts both ways. Because of lack of exposure, I neither have much fascination for fireworks but at the same time they are enough of a rarity that it’s somewhat of a treat when I do see them.
We decided to go for an evening to Danshui and when we arrived, there were having what Irene called a Bai bai. I have no clue how that’s phonetically spelled, or what Chinese characters it represents. It was some sort of annual celebration for the local temple.
Thousands of people crammed the streets and millions of firecrackers were being set off. I’ll post some more later, but I’ve never been this close to something quite like this. This video was taken at (apparently) considerable risk to ourselves. People were running, when it went off, the sound was unbearable, it was impossible not to cover the ears and were we assaulted by burning hot shrapnel as it exploded – about 10-15 feet away from us.