Mesmerizing Rain of Fire Lighting up the Sky

It is often said that art comes from life， but dramatizes life. For ancient Chinese， their definitions of “folk culture” are not only rooted in what can be seen and felt in their personal lives， but also transcend the life itself. When you look around， you won’t miss the timid smiles on the Chinese faces which deliver a message about what the local folkways are like. Depending on their creativity， pragmatism， diligence， intelligence as well as their ceaseless pursuit of beauty， numerous of distinctive and diverting folk shows have survived and thrived in the contemporary world. Fortunately， Dashuhua （a special folk activity featuring with the spraying of molten iron） serves as one of them， creating an aura of magnificence and filling the audiences with awe by its magic and imaginative beauty.

Poor man’s fireworks

Are you tired of the skyscrapers and the fast-paced life of city？ A visit to Yuxian County in Zhangjiakou City， Hebei Province would be a refreshing change， especially for those interested in cultural heritage. Yuxian County， a part of China that is rich in coal and iron and home to a strong metalworking industry， enjoys a good fame for an intangible cultural heritage held during the Spring Festival -- Dashuhua.

The old tradition of Dashuhua， which literally means to spray melted iron， has been preserved for more than 300 years. Dating back to 500 years ago， Yuxian County was a strategic defensive location where several garrison towns guarded Beijing from northern invaders. Subsequently， a group of blacksmiths grew up in Yuxian to help equip the army.

Legend has it that in ancient times， during Spring Festival， rich people would set off fireworks to celebrate the important holiday. However， poor people who could not afford fireworks also longed for the lively and festive experience. When they noticed the mesmerizing sparks created by the blacksmiths’ molten iron， they were inspired. Wearing sheepskin coats， poor blacksmiths developed fireworks of their own by throwing molten iron against the brick wall above the castle gate with large wooden ladles. When they hit the iron and created sparks， this kind of special firework attracted more and more ordinary people. The festive atmosphere was as same as that of rich people with fireworks. And from then on， every Spring Festival， those less well-off people would donate pieces of scrap metal to be melted down by blacksmiths and turned into fireworks. Hence， it has been said that the rich play with fireworks and the poor perform Dashuhua.

Also， there is another version about the origin of Dashuhua. Dating back some 2，000 years， it was a way to celebrate the bumper harvest. Villagers held the Festival of Lights and voluntarily donated their scrap iron and coal to perform Dashuhua for three days to pray for a good weather in the following year. Moreover， when the molten iron struck the wall， it exploded into a shower of sparks to scare away demons.

The fireworks created by molten iron attracted more and more people， and gradually its appeal surpassed the real fireworks. In recent years， urban tourists have flocked to this once obscure town during Chinese special holidays to enjoy local folk custom.

Shimmering but dangerous fireworks

Some foreign people thought that Chinese people have obviously mastered the art of making gold out of thin air when they watch Dashuhua performance. In reality， it is only a gorgeous form of Chinese fireworks.

Each performance of Dashuhua is a visual feast， attracting people from afar. Dashuhua performance usually begins in the evening when the county’s central square is crowded with strolling couples， playing children and relaxed old people. At the start of the show， the dancers would demonstrate how blacksmiths lived and worked in ancient times. Hundreds of performers are dancing beside the bonfires， with iron melting in a large furnace. During this process， some workers put scrap iron into the furnace to prepare the molten iron. According to the locals， more than a ton of iron would be used during the 30-minute firework show.

When folk dance ends， Dashuhua takes place. With iron melting in pots reaching a temperature of up to 1，700 degrees Celsius， performers quickly splash the molten iron onto the city walls. When the hot metal hits the firm wall， the wall seems to explode into a flaming sea. As the second and third ladles of hot metal follow each other， the sky becomes bright under the light of fireworks， which is fabulous and exciting with various shapes and sparks. Meanwhile， dancers perform a dragon dancing under the shower of molten iron during the folk art performance.

At first， people only employed molten iron for the performance， but copper and aluminum were eventually added to the performance to produce green and white flowers instead of only red. According to the locals， there are more than a dozen ways of spraying the molten iron into the air， with tools such as an iron wire and a wooden ladle. The spraying of fire can be done either alone， or by a group of two or three. The wooden ladle used by the performers of Dashuhua is two centimeters thick which is required to be dipped in the water for three days for the preparation. When placed into the 1，700 degrees Celsius hot metal， a thin layer of black coal would be formed on the surface of the ladle in just a short period of time.

Due to the danger posed by the high-temperature molten iron， the performers are always experienced and brave men. It’s all about their boldness and your skills. The performers are protected from the molten metal by nothing more than sheepskins and straw hats. Given this， it is common for performers to get burned even among those with decades of experience. In summer， the molten iron does not injure them when sparks come in contact with their bodies because of sweat. As for the audiences， they have to stand at least 30 meters away from the performers because the temperature of the molten iron can be as high as 1，700 degrees Celsius.

It is the virtuosity and courage of these performers that make audiences excited and cheerful. And continuous sparks form the gold rain， bringing warm to the people in winter.