Fire in the sky

In Situ village, a Spring Festival tradition to scare away demons known as datiehua, or the spraying of iron is just one attraction among many

Hundreds of performers were dancing besides bonfires, with iron melting in large pots. Suddenly, they begin to spray the scorching liquid into the air, producing a shower of magnificent sparks, almost like fireworks.

This is called datiehua, or the spraying of iron - a tradition followed in the provinces of Shanxi and Henan to celebrate the Spring Festival and scare away demons.