Taiwan’s version of the yG Garden Festival: Ghosts and monsters appear as the Mountain-Pulling Cart Parade hits Guanziling

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

The Fire King has arrived！The grand finale of the “Romantic Siraya – Summer Love” series, the “Fire King Festival,” will be held on August 11 in lively Guanziling, Baihe District. The Tourism Bureau’s Siraya National Scenic Area Administration stated that the “Fire King Festival” blends Taiwanese and Japanese festival cultures. Not only does it feature Taiwan’s first-ever Mountain-Pulling Cart Parade that rivals Narita’s yG Garden Festival, but it also includes a ghost and monster street carnival, a creative costume party, and live performances by bands and dance troupes.

Guanziling is most famous for its mud hot springs, and the guardian deity of the springs is none other than the Fire King. Hu Boxiong, chairman of the Guanziling Fire King Temple Management Committee, explained that the Fire King of Guanziling is not the traditional Fire Deity worshipped in Taiwanese folk religion, but rather the “Central Acala” from Kyushu, Japan. Acala is a manifestation of Vairocana and is considered the central figure among the Five Wisdom Kings (guardian deities) in Esoteric Buddhism, as well as the leader of the Eight Great Wisdom Kings. In 1902, when the Japanese developed the Guanziling hot springs, they enshrined the Central Acala above the hot spring source to pray for safety, and later raised funds to build a temple. Every year, hot spring operators hold a lottery to select a “furnace master” to preside over the rituals, ensuring the springs flow endlessly. Thus, the “Fire King” can be considered the guardian of Guanziling’s hot springs.

The “Fire King Festival” will take place from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on August 11. The program includes a Mountain-Pulling Cart Parade and Ghost & Monster Street Carnival from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Guanziling Baoquan Bridge Hot Spring Park. The public can show their creativity by dressing up as their envisioned Fire King or various ghost and monster characters to join the parade and carnival. Street performers will also be present to entertain the crowd, taking the festival to new heights. This will be followed by a Creative Costume Party and Live Performances by Bands and Dance Troupes from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, transforming the venue into an outdoor pub with dazzling light and sound effects.

On the day of the Mountain-Cart Parade, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM, there will be a full road closure along the section from Red Leaf Tunnel Entrance to Guanling Church. Vehicles are prohibited from entering. Small cars may detour via Coukeng Road to Dongshan, while large vehicles can use County Highway 172B to reach Guanziling. For details, please visit the official website: www.siraya-nsa.gov.tw.

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