Excitement is mounting for the upcoming Spring
Festival not least because residents in Beijing
and other cities can mark the celebrations again with a bang.
Customers browse at a stall selling
fireworks in Beijing January 25, 2006. Beijing has lifted a 12-year ban on
fireworks for the Lunar New Year celebrations during the Spring Festival. The
city has issued 2,116 permits to sell firecrackers starting on Sunday, according
to local media. [Reuters]
Many areas such as the capital banned firecrackers 12 years ago
because of an increasing number of injuries involving the explosives.
But now regulations are being relaxed, people are in party mood.
Knot knowledge: Linda Medve (right),
from Hungary, and her mother study an example of Chinese knotting yesterday
during special cultural activities in Beihai Park, Beijing, ahead of the start
of Spring Festival.
"Being able to use firecrackers again does make it feel like a proper Spring
Festival again," said a taxi driver surnamed Zhang in the Chongwen District of
Beijing.
"Otherwise, we can only drink wine and have dinner without the fun of
firecrackers."
Using firecrackers during the Spring Festival is a long-standing custom for
Chinese. Many people believe that setting off firecrackers can help drive away
any bad luck they have had in the previous year.
