Yanshuei District

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, Yanshuei was organized as an urban township of Tainan County. On 25 December 2010, Tainan County was merged with Tainan City and Yanshuei was upgraded to a district of the city.

Presently, there are no rail links to Yanshuei. In the past, however, the Taiwan Sugar Corporation operated passenger services to Yanshuei station, which has been preserved.

The most important of Yanshuei's prominent fireworks are the so-called "bee hives", essentially multiple launchers of bottle rockets. These rocket forts are actually thousands of bottle rockets arranged row atop row in an iron-and-wooden framework. The setup looks like a beehive full of unleashed gunpowder. When the contraption is ignited, rockets shoot out rapidly in all directions. Dazzling explosives whiz and whirl across the sky and often into the crowd itself, both thrilling and intimidating the spectators.[8]

Amongst local adherents being hit by a rocket is an indication of good luck in the year to come, with the greater the number of hits the greater the luck. Locals will therefore dress in multiple layers on top of which they wear homemade fireproofs (fireproofing the back of a jacket and pair of trousers, and wearing a cape of fire resistant material) and stand with their backs to the launchers. However, unless so prepared spectators are not allowed in the vicinity of the platforms.

Spectators have been wounded by rocketing fireworks while standing too close to the erupting hive. However, the festival is still held, despite moves to ban it.

To protect against injury, heavy clothing, a helmet with a full visor, and protective gloves are recommended for all spectators. Local residents modify motorcycle helmets by riveting fire retardant material to create an aventail at the back and a flexible gorget at the front. If this is not done a towel is advised to be worn around the neck because many can temporarily lose their hearing if a stray rocket goes inside their helmet.