Fireworks on the way out

[Randy W]

Fireworks aren't allowed anymore in over 440 cities, including Beijing.

 

http://www.bjreview.com/e-logo.jpg

 

 

Memories of Fireworks

Fireworks have stopped being an essential part of the celebration and become a fading memory, giving way to safer streets, cleaner air and better sleep

 

 

 

The year 2017 saw a decisive result in the battle between fireworks and the public demand for blue skies. Beijing residents were regularly using air purifiers indoors and checking the air quality index. Torn between traditional fun and clear air, the public voted for the latter. After 12 years of being allowed in the downtown areas, fireworks were once again exiled to outside the Fifth Ring Road.

The difficulty in finding a store to buy fireworks and then a place to set them off took the fun out of it. One hardcore fan drove several hours to locate a stall, only to be disappointed to find there was nothing that would shoot up in the sky. After purchasing several ground and handle fountains, he became even more disheartened on being asked to set them off at an open ground 50 meters away. He is not a fan anymore.

How fireworks faded out of the festive life in Beijing is a reflection of what happened across the nation. As China experiences rapid development and people enjoy better lives, tradition changes along with time. Regulations accompanying traditions are also modified accordingly, always with a people-centered approach. The public’s priority has been shifting, from tradition and fun to safety and environmental protection, resulting in revised policies.

The 2019 Spring Festival ended on a note of peace and serenity. Fireworks have stopped being an essential part of the celebration and become a fading memory, giving way to safer streets, cleaner air and better sleep. That is how it should be, a fond memory that will not make it hard to breathe.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

This was at Zhushadong in 2018 - no fireworks this year

 

[amberjack1234]

The wife has been telling me for several years that firework was on the way out but I never thought that it would happen China-wide.