The people of Zhengpan celebrate the Lunar New Year by charging into flames for good fortune
Leaping over bonfires to ward off bad luck is a common festival practice in rural areas of northern China, as well as in many cultures around the world. But in Zhengpan village, located in eastern Guangdong, locals take it to the next level by daringly charging in and out of a raging blaze while carrying a divine statue.
Huang Ruide is a Guangzhou-based photographer who specializes in folk customs and folk culture in China’s rural areas. He is a regular collaborator of TWOC’s photography section, and is one of the judges of TWOC’s “Most China” photo contest. You can find his other works on his WeChat platform, “Cold Photography (冷摄影).”
Translated By
Liu Jue is the co-managing editor of The World of Chinese Magazine. She has a Master of Arts in Communication from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Minzu University. She has been working for TWOC since 2012. She is interested in covering history, traditional culture, and Chinese language.
