The Taitung County Government’s Environmental Protection Bureau has issued a pollution warning to coincide with the annual Bombing of Master Handan (炸寒單), a ceremony in which firecrackers are thrown at men representing the mythical figure Handan.
One of the most well-known events of Taitung County’s Lantern Festival, this year’s first Bombing of Master Handan took place on Tuesday. The county government has estimated that more than 22 different Bombing of Master Handan events are to take place from today until Tuesday.
The traditional belief is that the more firecrackers that are set off as the person playing the part of Master Handan passes, the greater luck it will bring for the Lunar New Year.
Taitung Hospital president Chu Nian-feng (祝年豐) said that last year, the bureau recorded more than two or three times the normal level of air pollution during the event, adding that the extra pollution is likely to cause discomfort to pregnant women, young babies and people suffering asthma and or other respiratory ailments.
The hospital also said that people attending the event should wear long-sleeved pants and shirts to prevent accidental injuries from firecrackers, adding that participants should also wear earmuffs, masks, hats or hoods, as well as goggles.
If a person is injured by the firecrackers, they should attempt to douse the wound with cold water or cover it with a wet towel, the hospital said.
The hospital said that soy sauce, toothpaste and other condiments should not be used to treat an injury sustained from a firecracker because such materials could cause complications.
If a person sustains an eye injury, the hospital said they should cover the injury with a clean piece of gauze and avoid putting pressure on the injured eye, adding that the person should not rinse their injured eye with water either.
The person should be sent to the nearest hospital for immediate medical assistance, Chu said.
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