Can't stop the fire

A villager steps over burning coal in bare feet at a traditional celebration called Lianhuo in Pan'an county, East China's Zhejiang province, Nov 25. Villagers celebrated the completion of bridge construction and the arrival of winter by igniting the fiery altar, measuring 10 meters in diameter, using 100 large wicker baskets of charcoal. About 25 shirtless and barefoot villagers surrounded a pile of burning charcoal and ran into the burning fire singing, dancing and shouting. Lianhuo is a folk tradition to ward off evil spirits and pray for peace, and has been going on for thousands of years. It was included in the first list of intangible cultural heritage protection of Zhejiang province in 2005. [Photo by Pan Kanjun/Asianewsphoto]