Fire Horse Festival 火馬祭 - Lantern Festival Tradition from Lucao, Chiayi

Travel Date: 2026/03/07

Fire Horse Festival in Lucao – One of the Most Intense Festivals I’ve Seen in Taiwan. Well, because I don't dare to go to the Beehive Festival in Yanshui, Tainan, I guess this might be the most dramatic thing I’ll ever see lol.

Last weekend (March 7th) we went to Lucao in Chiayi County to see the traditional Fire Horse Festival (火馬祭) at Yuanshan Temple (嘉義鹿草圓山宮). I had seen photos before, but experiencing it in person was something completely different.

It was spectacular, loud, chaotic, and honestly a little bit shocking.

About the Festival

The Fire Horse Festival is actually a series of events leading up to the main ceremony. These activities include:

- Eating peace dumplings for good fortune

- Drinking traditional herbal wine

- Passing under temple palanquins for blessings

- Making DIY fire horses

- Temple processions around the town

- Praying for fortune coins and peace offerings

These rituals bring the community together and extend the celebration far beyond the single night of the fire ceremony.

Temple committee members and local volunteers work together to craft the horse by hand — weaving the frame and covering it with straw. The process intentionally recreates the way villagers would have made the original fire horses centuries ago.

This handmade craftsmanship adds an important cultural dimension to the ritual, preserving traditional skills alongside religious belief.

Normally, the Fire Horse ceremony takes place on Lantern Festival night (the 15th day of the Lunar New Year).

However, because the Taiwan Lantern Festival was held in Chiayi County in 2026, Yuanshan Temple consulted the temple deity Wang Sun Da Shi Gong (王孫大使公) and decided to postpone the large Fire Horse ceremony so more people could attend. It was held on a Saturday instead of during the week, and I am so grateful for that — otherwise we would not have made it there.

The festival is an old local tradition that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. In the past, people believed burning a “fire horse” could drive away disease and bad luck from the village. Villagers would build horses out of straw or paper and burn them in a ritual so the gods’ soldiers could carry away epidemics and misfortune.

The ceremony disappeared for almost 60 years, but it was revived in 2021 and has become one of the most unusual festivals in southern Taiwan!

Something I Did Not Expect…

Before the horses were burned, a ritual took place that I definitely did not expect to see.

A spirit medium — a person believed to be temporarily possessed by the temple deity — walked around the horses performing a ceremony. He was spitting alcohol onto the horses, almost like blessing them before the fire.

Then the ritual became even more intense.

He started hitting his own back with different weapons as part of the ritual. Eventually his back was bleeding, but he continued the ceremony while people watched quietly. It was very powerful and honestly quite shocking if you have never seen something like this before.

Taiwanese temple rituals can sometimes be very intense, but this was definitely one of the strongest I have seen.

I had only watched some of these rituals on YouTube before, when my husband accidentally discovered a channel about temple rituals and spirit mediums. I watched a few and was quite shocked — actually I asked my husband to stop watching those things because I didn’t have a very good feeling about it.

Preparing the Fire Horses

After the ritual finished, the horses were prepared for the main event (放火馬).

They were covered with gasoline, many strings of firecrackers, and long fuses running through the structure. You could already imagine what would happen next.

When they finally lit the fuse, everything happened very quickly.

The horse suddenly burst into flames, firecrackers started exploding everywhere, and the flames shot high into the night sky. The heat became extremely strong almost immediately and the firecrackers were shooting in every direction.

Some people quickly stepped back, and a few even moved away completely because the fire and explosions became so intense.

It was chaotic, loud, and absolutely spectacular.

At the end there were even fireworks, but I was shielding my eyes from the flying pieces so I didn’t really look up at the sky. Luckily we caught it on video though.

About Yuanshan Temple

Yuanshan Temple (圓山宮) in Lucao Township is dedicated to Wang Sun Da Shi Gong (王孫大使公), a local deity believed to protect the community and drive away evil spirits and disease.

Yuanshan Temple has been an important religious center for local residents for many generations. Like many Taiwanese temples, it’s not only a place for worship but also a place where the community gathers for traditional events and festivals.

The Fire Horse ritual is one of the temple’s most unique traditions. It originally came from customs that were once common in the coastal areas of Fujian, where people believed that burning a “fire horse” would allow divine soldiers to carry away epidemics and disasters.

For a long time the ceremony had disappeared, but in 2021 the temple revived the Fire Horse Festival, bringing the tradition back to Lucao after almost sixty years. Since then the event has grown bigger every year and more people come to see this spectacular ritual.

Another part of the ceremony that caught my attention was the spirit medium ritual.

In many Taiwanese temples there are people called “tang-ki” (乩童) or spirit mediums. During certain ceremonies they believe the temple deity temporarily enters their body so they can communicate the god’s will and perform rituals.

Little Sum Up

Even though the scene looks dramatic, the meaning behind it is actually very positive.

People believe the burning fire horse takes away bad luck, illness, and misfortune, leaving the community with a fresh start and blessings for the new year.

Watching the flames, hearing the constant explosions of firecrackers, and feeling the heat from the fire made the whole experience feel very powerful.

Taiwan has many famous fire festivals like the Beehive Fireworks in Yanshui or the Bombing Dragon in Miaoli, but the Fire Horse Festival in Lucao feels very different.

It doesn’t feel like a performance for tourists. It feels like a real local belief that people still take seriously.

For me, it was definitely one of the most memorable and surprising cultural events I’ve seen in Taiwan.

And also one of the hottest ones — literally.

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Japan Trip - Day 4: Trip to Yamaga: Lanterns, Tradition & (Almost) a Thousand Lantern Dance

We began our Day 4 at a relaxed pace, meeting at 11 AM to head to Yamaga, a picturesque town about one hour’s drive from Kumamoto City. Yamaga is known for its traditional onsen (hot springs) and its famed lantern festival (Toro Matsuri) held every summer during Obon.

Parking was a challenge. Festival rules meant town parking lots only allowed exits before 5:30 PM and effectively locking your car in until midnight. We opted instead for a free spot 1 km away, across the river, then braced ourselves for the heat - 38 °C.... so intense that I resorted to using an umbrella for shade, something I normally don’t do.

Yamaga, located about 30 km north of Kumamoto City in Kumamoto Prefecture, blends heritage and natural beauty. Nestled in a basin with the Kikuchi River flowing through, its northern landscapes feature the Kyushu Mountains. Known historically for its hot springs and as a post town on the Buzen Kaidō route, Yamaga remains rich in traditional crafts and long-standing cultural events.

Yamaga Lantern Folk Crafts Museum

Our first stop was the Yamaga Lantern Folk Crafts Museum, housed in a Taishō-era former bank building from the 1920s with preserved Romanesque architecture, now a registered Tangible Cultural Property.

The museum exhibits showcase the artisanship behind “toro” - lanterns built using only washi paper and minimal glue, without metal or wood. Larger, detailed lanterns can take months to craft.

Many lanterns are shaped to mimic real architecture - shrines, the Yachiyoza Theatre, and local landmarks.

The museum offers workshops where visitors can make smaller lantern parts (e.g., giboshu) with guidance from experts - a hands-on cultural experience.

We also learned about the myth involving Emperor Keiko, who was guided through fog by torch-bearing villagers - a story that sparked the lantern tradition centuries ago.

We encountered some confusion at the ticket counter—paperwork seemed to bundle museum entry with a performance we didn’t want to attend. Eventually we clarified that the performance occurs only during the two days of the festival, and that outside showtimes the museum can be visited separately after 6PM. Admission for both opened areas came to 730 yen per adult.

Wandering through Yamaga’s Old Streets

After the museum, we wandered through Yamaga’s atmospheric old town, stepping into a traditional-styled shrine with an unusual entrance bridge - Kongōjō-ji (金剛乗寺). Though modest, it's charming and sits amid historic surroundings, adding to Yamaga’s nostalgic feel.

Founded circa 825 by Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi), the founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, Kongōjō-ji is considered the oldest temple in Yamaga and was once known as the "Western Kōyasan" for its grand scale. 

During the 15th century, when the local hot springs dried up, the temple’s head priest, Yumei Hōin, prayed fervently and built the Yakushi-dō Hall honoring Yakushi Nyorai - the Buddha of Healing. The hot springs eventually returned, and Yamaga’s annual Onsen Revival Festival commemorates this miracle. 

The Stone Gate (Ishimmon) was crafted in 1804 by stonemason Jinki from tuff stone, this round-arched gate is a town-designated cultural asset. Its circular design signifies entering the body of Buddha - it’s even considered a power spot for good relationships. 

Inside, you'll find statues of Yakushi Nyorai (the principal deity), Dainichi Nyorai, Yumei Hōin, Shōten, Fudō Myōō, and a restored Nyoirin Kannon Hall featuring beautiful Buddhist sculptures. 

The later tradition of offering paper lanterns during the Yamaga Lantern Festival traces back to lanterns created in Yumei Hōin’s honor—by a paper craft master, after his passing. 

The temple grounds are free to visit and open daily from approximately 8 AM to 6 PM, with a small free parking area (around 10 cars) available near the entrance. 

Omiya Shrine

Lunch options were sparse - many shops were still closed as afternoon approached, so we continued exploring and eventually visited Ōmiya Shrine, a focal point during the festival, and scoped out the elementary school grounds where the famed Thousand Lantern Dance (Sennin Toro Odori) takes place. During the festival, these streets fill with lanterns and lively procession - women perform an elegant dance, balancing golden lanterns on their heads in slow circles.

The elementary school grounds nearby were already set up for the famous Thousand Lantern Dance — it looked amazing even before it started.

Omiya Shrine, surrounded by tall trees and a peaceful atmosphere, is one of the city’s most important shrines. Every August 15–16, it becomes the center of the Yamaga Lantern Festival (Yamaga Toro Matsuri), the town’s most iconic summer celebration tied to Obon, the Buddhist tradition of honoring ancestral spirits. The glowing lanterns are believed to guide the spirits, creating a truly magical and spiritual scene.

The highlight is the Thousand Lantern Dance (Senbon Toro Odori), where about 1,000 women in summer yukata dance gracefully with golden paper lanterns balanced on their heads. The festival’s roots date back centuries, when locals guided Emperor Keiko through dense fog using torches—an act that later evolved into the luminous tradition of offering paper lanterns.

The festivities also include a spectacular fireworks show, with over 4,000 fireworks illuminating the night sky above the Kikuchi River. Celebrated with deep community pride, ancestral homage, and artistry, the festival is often described by locals as “a moment that brings goosebumps.

Discovering Yachiyoza Theater

Next, we visited Yachiyoza Theater, a historical playhouse built in 1910, known for its Western-influenced design and notable as a National Important Cultural Property.

The theatre once faded in popularity in the 1970s but was revived and restored by locals - gaining its cultural asset designation in 1988. After falling into decline, it was restored in the early 2000s. 

Features include under-stage trap doors, rotating stage platforms, and a hanamichi (pathway for dramatic entrances), showing advanced stage tech for its time.

Another era building nearby, Yumekogura, serves as a museum containing costumes, posters, and props.

During festival seasons, the theatre hosts special performances - including kabuki and dances, sometimes featuring the lantern dance and taiko drums. Outside festival times, you can tour backstage and understage areas with guidance and English handouts.

A combined ticket for Yachiyoza, Yumekogura, and the lantern museum costs around 730 yen.

Additionally, the theatre plays a central role in seasonal events like the Yamaga Romantic Lantern Festival during winter (Feb–Mar), where it displays lantern art and hosts stage performances.

Waiting for the Lantern Dance—Then the Rain

As evening approached, the festival area came alive. Streets turned bustling with food stalls and impromptu dancing near Sakura-yu, Yamaga’s local onsen building, a fun scene to stumble into. Finally, we took our seats at the school venue - though at the back, it offered good views.

The children with their lanterns danced beautifully as 8PM neared. But just minutes before the main event, a sudden downpour hit! People waited patiently, some left in rush as they didn't have any cover, but after 15 minutes, the Thousand Lantern Dance was canceled. We had traveled so far and waited so long - it was heartbreaking to miss it... Wet and sandy, we made our way back to the car.

The drive back was slow - traffic was much worse than on the drive out. By 10 PM we were back in Kumamoto City.

Night had transformed Kumamoto into a different world. Streets were silent yet tinged with odd energy - many women dressed provocatively wandered around, clearly seeking business. It wasn't dangerous, but it felt unfamiliar, especially with our child. Still, compared to Europe, it felt safer - just odd.

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