Bomb Day at the Bok Kai Temple in Marysville

Procession from Bok Kai Temple

The Bok Kai Temple in Marysville is one of a handful of still existing temples built in the 19th century in California by the large Chinese immigrant population.  It may be the only temple still regularly used as a place of worship.

This 1880's structure replaced earlier ones a little upstream on the north bank of the Yuba River.  A levee has since been built right smack in front of the front entrance so it's difficult to get a photograph that captures the whole look of the place. 

Here as in most Taoist temples, many gods are honored.  Bok Kai, deity of the north and of water is feted during the 2nd lunar month with parades, food offerings, feasts, prayers and on the sunday, the bomb ceremony.   Towards the end of the afternoon, a representation of the god is carried out of the temple accompanied by incense, a continuously beating gong and firecrackers.  Bok Kai is walked up B Street to a roped off area.  Within are the participants; younger members of the Hop Sing and Sahm Fow community organizations, the man who lights the bombs and assistants.  Without are the rest of us, including a firetruck, the local fire deptment and some police.  The bombs are lit from an ancient wooden stump.  As they explode, lucky rings, maybe 6 inches in diameter are launched in the air.  The young guys compete for the rings.  It's a little like watching rugby through dense smoke while being deafened by non-stop firecrackers and of course the beating gong.

Entrance to Bok Kai Temple

This is the year of the water snake and this last Sunday the 17th of March saw the 133rd celebration of Bok Kai and Bomb Day.