This is Randi Hacker with another Postcard from Asia from the KU Center for East Asian Studies.

From the “If you can’t stand the heat…get someone else to stand under the fireworks for you” file comes this story from Taiwan: For years, the men of Taidong, have marked the Lunar New Year with a ritual known as Han Dan after a god of wealth who is fond of heat. To observe this ritual, near naked men willingly allow themselves to be burned by a shower of fireworks. Traditionally, the pain was all about driving out evil spirits and changing luck for the upcoming year. However, in these more profit-centric times, it’s all about the bottom line. Local merchants who wish to bring prosperity to their businesses, hire near naked men as their singe-able stand-ins. Crowds gather to watch and cheer and occasionally duck the odd flaming firecracker that misses its marks. Burn, proxy, burn!

From the KU Center for East Asian Studies, I’m Randi Hacker. Wish you were here.