there are several versions of the origin of yakou piao-se. the first version is that at one time the village of yakou suffered from frequent floods because of its coastal location and low altitude. to solve the problem, villagers began to carry a paper-made statue of bodhisattva and walk around the village to pray for a good harvest. it was in the late ming dynasty that people began to use small children dressed up as bodhisattva to replace the paper-made effigy.