Mon, Feb 17, 2003 page2

• Ritual keeps 'gods' on their toes

  BAPTISM OF FIREWORKS For the last four decades, hardy men have been braving a heavy salvo of firecrackers take on the role of the god of wealth

  • By Ko Shu-ling / STAFF REPORTER
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  Standing high on the bamboo sedan, the 30-year-old Chen Jin-yi (陳金益) was using banyan branches to whisk away a salvo of fizzling firecrackers shooting toward him from all directions.

  Impersonating the Han-tan yeh, or god of wealth, Lee was only allowed to wear a pair of red boxer shorts, sneakers and a piece of red headgear wrapped around his head to protect his body and limbs, which are covered with tattoos.

  

  A medium dressed as the Han-tan yeh braves firecrackers and rockets during the annual pyrotechnics ritual in Taitung on Saturday.

  PHOTO: CNA

  Lee was one of the 30 volunteers playing the deity in this year's Lantern Festival in Taitung County.

  Legend has it that the god of wealth was Chao Kong-ming (趙公明), a fearless warrior during the Shang Dynasty. He was given his name in the classic novel The Legends of Great Heroes.

  Some people, however, believe that the God of Wealth was Chou Chu (周處) from the Jin Dynasty. Chou was labeled by his neighbors as one of the three devils. The other two devils were the tiger of the South Mountain and the dragon in the South River.

  Although the Chou later killed the tiger and the dragon, he himself was killed by his fellow villagers who threw a volley of firecrackers at him on the night of the Lantern Festival.

  According to the religious ritual, the more firecrackers thrown at the Han-tan yeh, the more prosperous the economy.

  Shopowners who wish for a prosperous year offer financial awards to lure the Han-tan yeh to visit their stores so they can throw firecrackers at him to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune.

  Although the firecracker-throwing ritual seemed painful, Chen said it did not bother him at all.

  "I don't feel a thing because I'm blessed by Buddha," he said, gulping down a bottle of mineral water.

  Chen's impressive performance even landed him a NT$1,000 offer to shoot a commercial for a soft-drinks company.

  Aiming to boost the local tourism industry, the county government has made efforts to make the four-decade-old ritual into a major event.

  According to Wang Chong-wei (王崇瑋), department chief of the Taitung County Government's tourism bureau, the county earmarked NT$2.7 million for the four-day event and hopes to see turnout at least doubled.

  "As the turnout of Saturday alone was estimated at 20,000, we hope to see over 100,000 people coming to the city," he said, adding that last year's three-day Lantern Festival attracted about 40,000 people.

  "Our goal is to make the firecracker festival here featuring Han-tan yeh on a par with those in Yenshui, Tainan County and Pingshih, Taipei County," he said.

  The highlight of the Yenshui fireworks festival is the "hives" -- pyrotechnic launch platforms the size of shipping containers.

  The Pingshih Lantern Festival features sky lanterns -- fire-powered paper balloons.

  Lee Chien-chi (李建智), manager of the Shuan Wu Temple, who played the Han-tan yeh for a decade before taking over the management of the temple in 1989, organized the Han-tan yeh program

  The temple is one of the city's most famous temples.

  "I remember the first time I was up there, I had this overwhelming feeling of loneliness because the smoke was so thick I could barely see what was in front of me," he said. "The first thing I did when I came down was to take a deep breath of fresh air and drink a lot of water."

  Lee was 20 when he got his feet wet.

  "I was curious and wanted to show-off," said the 44-year-old native of Taitung.

  It was addictive, he said, so he kept going back every year until 1983 when the county government barred the ritual for security reasons.

  It was widely believed, however, that the ban resulted from the government's reluctance to see the ritual dominated by gangsters -- who often played the role of the Han-tan yeh and organized the event.

  Lee, a high-school drop-out, claims to be connected with the underground world but managed to stay clean during his younger years.

  He started to take over the management of the temple and organize the Han-tan yeh program in 1989 when the county government lifted the ban in the hope of boosting the tourism industry.

  Over the course of 14 years, Lee said that he has seen the festival gradually gain steam.

  "Take this year for example, I have 11 engagements to take care of and 30 volunteers at my disposal to play the Han-tan yeh," he said.

  While the monetary awards from shop owners vary between NT$1,000 and NT$20,000 each, the temple was awarded NT$500,000 by the county government to organize the event this year.

  No particular requirements are set for playing the role of the Han-tan yeh, Lee said, but most of them are men aged between 20 and 40.

  Lee, however, said that he has once had a 30-something American white male perform the role twice.

  The American was studying Taiwanese religious rituals to finish his dissertation.

  Since no protection gear is allowed, not even ointment, certain protection measures, such as taking anti-inflammatory tablets, are advised, Lee said

  Luckily, no one has ever beenn seriously injured over the years, he said.
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