Eternity in a Fleeting Blaze

On the eve of the birthday of Baosheng Dadi, the God of Medicine—the 15th day of the third lunar month (which falls on April 30 this year)—a 21-gun salute pierces the night sky. A golden papier-mâché lion is ignited amid a shower of beehive firecrackers. In an instant, it goes up in flames and vanishes into smoke, a powerful ritual meant to dispel misfortune and disease. The heart and soul behind this awe-inspiring blend of religious devotion and visual spectacle is Li Qingrong, a preserver of Taipei City’s intangible cultural heritage and a papier-mâché artisan widely celebrated as the craft’s most daring innovator.

photo by Yu Guohui, courtesy of Dalongdong Baoan Temple

Blending East and West: Heritage meets innovation

Born into a well-established family of papier-mâché artisans, Li has dedicated over 50 years to the craft. He not only inherited his family’s traditional techniques but also received formal training in Western art. Driven by a restless, creative spirit, in his youth he traveled extensively across Taiwan, studying under various masters and seamlessly integrating their diverse techniques and styles into his own.

Since his collaboration with Baoan Temple began in 2003, Li has been commissioned annually to construct the Fire Lion. Although the lion’s dimensions are strictly confined to a four-by-eight-foot frame, Li unleashes boundless creativity within these limits. By incorporating Western sculptural concepts into traditional papier-mâché, he renders the skeletal structure and musculature with remarkable realism, giving the lion a strikingly majestic and commanding presence.

According to folklorist Lu Jiangming, author of a book on Li’s papier-mâché art, the artisan suspends the lion’s woven bamboo frame in mid-air to meticulously observe its balance and ensure perfect symmetry. Moreover, Li places the utmost importance on sculpting the face. The eyes, snout, and overall expression must convey not only the beast’s fierce vitality but also its stately divine nature.

Li’s innovations are never arbitrary, but are deeply rooted in a profound understanding of tradition. For instance, he adapts the dragon motifs typically found on temple roof ridges to decorate the garments of divine effigies, utilizes modern printing technology to assist with draft designs, and has pioneered the use of dyed rabbit fur instead of traditional paper-cut fringes to dramatically enhance the texture. This year’s Fire Lion features a remarkably vibrant palette, incorporating fluorescent pigments to enhance color brightness and make the figure even more dazzling during the night festival. Through gradual, deliberate refinements, his creations not only fulfill their religious function but also offer refreshing visual surprises year after year.

The Fire Lion crafted by Li Qingrong this year is currently stationed outside the Yunzhong Hall at Baoan Temple. Visitors are welcome to view it up close and experience its robust, muscular physique and majestic aura.

The beehive firecrackers are concealed within the Fire Lion’s mouth, belly, and base. A deep groove hidden beneath the saddle on the lion’s back serves as a crucial space for embedding the explosives.

A folk climax amid the flames of beehive firecrackers

The custom of the Fire Lion at Dalongdong Baoan Temple, a designated national heritage site, traces its roots to ancient rituals meant to “dispel pestilence.” Because Baosheng Dadi is revered as the God of Medicine, the burning of the lion and the detonation of thousands of beehive firecrackers symbolize the absorption of negative energy and the expulsion of evil and disaster. Unlike the flat-trajectory firecrackers famous in Tainan’s Yanshui District, Baoan Temple’s fireworks are launched upward. Due to restrictions on low-altitude aerial activity related to nearby Songshan Airport, such a brilliant display of sparks blossoming within the dense urban landscape is a rare and precious sight indeed.

During the event, Li often blends into the crowd as an anonymous spectator to observe how the lion burns. He has researched ways to reinforce the lion’s neck, ensuring the heavy head does not collapse prematurely in the flames, thereby maintaining perfect visual tension for the audience from start to finish.

The most poignant—and arguably most heartbreaking—aspect of this papier-mâché art is its ephemeral nature; it is destined to be incinerated. Yet, when watching his meticulous creations turn to ash time and again, Li humorously remarks, “Go right ahead and burn them, because only by making another one each year can I earn a living.” On a deeper level, he believes the true purpose of papier-mâché is to carry devotees’ earnest prayers to the heavens. The fleeting moment of its cremation is, in fact, the ultimate completion of the artwork.

In his studio, Li Qingrong hurries to finish crafting the weapons for Da Shi Ye (the Ghost King). Although the deity’s body is brilliantly colored, Li insists on keeping the axe a traditional, vintage black, demonstrating the master’s perfect balance between tradition and innovation.

The new transnational face of papier-mâché

Despite a shrinking market and a scarcity of young apprentices willing to learn the trade, Li has never allowed himself to be constrained by the past. In his studio, he enthusiastically shows off dynamic short videos of Fire Lions that he generated using artificial intelligence, proving his enduring curiosity for modern technology.

He is also generous with his knowledge, always encouraging young visitors who seek his guidance: “Ask me anything you want.” Gao Yongjie, a Malaysian artisan who traveled to Taiwan to study under Li, has been invited to the 2027 Venice Biennale of Architecture, preparing to showcase the traditional art of papier-mâché on a global stage.

Watching Li seamlessly transition between traditional craftsmanship and modern tools, employing bold collages and vibrant colors with a subtly subversive yet still grounded approach, one cannot help but ask, “Master, doesn’t your style have a touch of Pop Art?” Without pausing his work, he simply lowers his head and smiles: “It’s been a long time since I heard that term.” Beneath the exterior of a traditional craftsman lies an untamed artistic spirit—one that ensures the Fire Lion of the 2026 Baosheng Cultural Festival will not only dispel evil and misfortune but also illuminate an artistic spectrum that transcends time and space.

Beyond divine beasts, crafting effigies of Da Shi Ye is one of Li Qingrong’s signature specialties. The deity’s proportions, posture, and clothing details all showcase the master’s unparalleled craftsmanship.