Catherine and I were looking for some space-saving solutions in the early evening last Sunday when we were startled by the abundant sound of firecrackers going off outside. The sound was close, so we went outside to check out the commotion. Luckily I had my camera with me to take a few pics of the festivities.
As we went outside we saw Guan Gong [關公], a general during the late Eastern Han period being carried.
Later we saw Mazu [媽祖], the Goddess of the Sea…
I don’t know the story behind these costumes:
If I ever buy a truck, I am going to give it a paint job the same as the one carrying the God of Fortune [財神爺]:
The God of Fortune threw some candy into the crowd, but some kids beat me to it…
Qiye and Baye [七爺八爺], who transport spirits to the netherworld:
These parades don’t exactly run themselves, there are people in charge to make sure everything runs smoothly:
Cool shots Todd. I bet I would paint my truck the same too
Nice shots. In the 2nd one, I can see a bus from my local bus company in the background - I’ll have to come visit sometime now that we’re sort of neighbors.
These parades are a dime a dozen in Tainan. I never thought I would say this but I am getting used to them, and a little put off by their domination of the streets (especially when I need to go somewhere).
I like the pimped out dragon pickup too.
Ashish, Craig, and TRT - thanks for stopping by.
Craig - I’d be happy to show you around if there is ever a decent event nearby. If not, maybe I’ll head over to your turf the next big event.
Holy celluloid, Batman! Your photos are so good. Like, really good! I’m really enjoying reading your blog, thanks for all the posts! Hope it’s ok if I link you. (Thanks also for the link to ‘A Photo A Day’, what a cool blog!)
Glad you enjoyed your visit Kiwian!
I must ask, what type of “heat” are you packing when you go out shopping and all of the sudden stumble onto great events like this? A digital SLR? Great photos!
Bryan - I try to carry my camera around wherever I go… I am shooting with a Nikon D40 and swap between its 18-55mm “kit” lens and Nikon’s 55-200mm lens …. it’s a pretty budget setup but I’ve been impressed so far. I would like to buy a faster lens in the future.