Beijing explodes for CNY

After a fantastic dinner at the Ritan park branch of everyone's favourite restaurant, Xiao Wang Fu, we headed to the area around Nanluoguxiang and the Drum and Bell towers to observe the complete chaos and craziness of Chinese New Year's eve.

 

Unlike in most countries, there do not seem to be any safety regulations that govern the purchase or use of fireworks and firecrackers, or at least none that are heeded to by the general public.  Therefore, everyone who's anyone takes it upon themselves to buy hundreds of fireworks, and let them off across the city 24/7 (yes, even in daylight) for the duration of the holiday period.

These fireworks are set off (see above pics) on every street, by children and adults alike, with no regard whatsoever for nearby people, buildings, or even police cars...!  The noise is incredible, and made for plenty of amusing shouts of 'take cover!' and corresponding dives behind lampposts, etc.  But fear not, 'fire engines' are on hand should anything get out of control...

For midnight itself, we went to the bar on the 86th floor of the Park Hyatt, from which we could see the entire city exploding with fireworks.  It was amazing, and very surreal to see so many fireworks going off in every direction from a height.  The fireworks began in earnest at dusk, and peaked at midnight, but continued well into the morning, when there was a pause for a few hour's sleep, before they were resumed at about 6am - and so this pattern continued!

The chaos got me wondering about fires and accidents caused by the the Spring Festival celebrations, and I'm pleased to report (see this article) that the number was down by almost 50% since last year (when the half0built Mandarin Oriental near the CCTV tower was set on fire by a 'stray firework').  However, according to the Ministry of Public Security, that's still 7,480 fires across the country, which killed 35 people and led to direct losses worth 28.5 million yuan (c. GBP 2.7 million).  Perhaps it's time for those health and safety regulations after all....?!