Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival by Yu Wen Chen

Inside the Firestorm

Every year, Tainan's Yanshui District erupts with thunderous roars of firecrackers. The streets light up during the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival as one of Taiwan's oldest and most vibrant folk celebrations takes place. The origins of this festivity trace back to the late 19th century, when the event was first held to ward off the cholera epidemic by invoking Guan Yu, the revered Chinese god of war and loyalty.

Since then, the festival has evolved into a fierce and electrifying ritual, drawing thousands of participants and spectators eager to stand amid exploding towers of bottle rockets, known locally as “beehives.” Protective gear is essential. Helmets, gloves, and thick jackets become part of the uniform as a form of safety. But safety isn't the main intention; it represents the fact that they're devoted and enduring.

Yu Wen Chen’s series observes the festival from within, where the smoke clings to skin and the firecrackers crack open the night in relentless rhythm. His compositions bring forward the heat and closeness of the crowd - faces shielded but alert, bodies bracing in rhythm with the detonations. The camera doesn’t hold back. Each image sits at the edge of motion, as if pulled from a single breath taken mid-chaos. The framing is tight, intentional, and grounded in respect for the people behind the spectacle.

His photographs show more than just visual drama; they draw out the emotion that settles in just before and after each eruption. A flash of anticipation, a look of calm just under the helmet, hands clutched in quiet preparation. Sparks fly, but it’s the human presence that holds the viewer steady. The work feels rooted in participation rather than observation, made possible through timing, access, and a steady eye in the noise.

The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, with all its rawness and ritual, has never been easy to photograph meaningfully. Yu Wen Chen's series is a rare and honest record of the experience. One that does not dilute its physical intensity or spiritual charge. For this achievement, the series was recognized with a Gold Award in the 2024 New York Photography Awards.