Dashuhua is a traditional performance that originated 500 years ago in Yuxian County, North China’s Hebei province. This spraying iron craftsmanship was listed as an intangible cultural heritage. This stunt will be performed at Shuhua Theater in Nuanquan town three times a day.
Legend has it that in ancient times, blacksmiths used to throw hot melted iron against the cold walls during Lantern Festival. When the metal struck the walls, it exploded into a shower of sparks to scare demons away.
Nowadays, using a wooden ladle soaked in water for three days, folk artists perform this stunt by throwing arcs of burning molten metal (at a temperature of about 1600 C) through the air that bursts into glowing sparks onto a cold and hard wall, delighting audiences. The iron performers are protected from all that molten metal by nothing more than a hat and a sheepskin coat.