another version concerns a very moving story. it is said that a long time ago, probably in the tang dynasty, a serious plague hit yakou village. a very kind-hearted couple, mr. and mrs. tan, offered free soup and medicine to the villagers. the villagers were so grateful to them that they called mr. and mrs. tan the "living buddha". unfortunately, the couple died of exhaustion from gathering herbs and making medicine. to honor the memory of their great sacrifices, people in yakou village began parading the paper-made bodhisattva statue around the village on may 6 of the lunar calendar. the tradition gradually developed into the festival piao-se.