TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Celebrations are taking place across Taiwan this weekend to mark the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, with the annual Lantern Festival falling on Sunday (Feb. 5).

In Tainan, an annual fireworks show and spring ritual known as “Welcoming the Spring Ox” (迓春牛) took place at the Matsu Luermen Temple, drawing an estimated crowd of over 300,000 people on Saturday (Feb. 4) night. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲), presided over the event, where he whipped a paper-mache effigy of an ox as a symbolic gesture of prosperity for the year ahead.

The ox was whipped at about 7:30 p.m., and then “released” into the crowd, where local people clamored to touch the ox and hopefully secure a piece of the effigy for extra luck. At this year’s event, the spring ox was ripped to pieces in less than three minutes by the massive crowd, reported UDN.

Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che whips the Spring Ox, Feb. 4. (Tainan City Government photo)

Following the spring ox ritual, a fireworks show illuminated the sky, delighting onlookers in and around the Luerman Temple complex. The current Matsu Luermen Temple was finished in 1977 and has hosted the spring ox festival for decades.

Due to the recent pandemic, the event was canceled for the past two years. In 2021 and 2022, to avoid a massive gathering of people in the temple’s courtyard, temple staff instead burned the ox effigy and distributed ashes to those who sought the blessings afforded by the ritual.

The city residents, local officials, and temple administrators were delighted that this year saw a return to tradition, with the annual gathering and fireworks show both going smoothly.

Also in Tainan, Saturday marked the beginning of the annual Yanshuei Beehive fireworks festival, which will reach its climax on Sunday night.

Fireworks over Tainan's Matsu Luermen Temple, Feb. 4. (Tainan City Government photo)