BEIJING,
Jan. 29 -- More than 20,000 cleaners rose early on Sunday morning to clear
Beijing's streets strewn thick with exploded firecrackers after exuberant Lunar
New Year's Eve celebrations.
Following the lift of 12-year firecracker ban in the capital, Beijingers made
up for lost time as they celebrated the coming of the Spring
Festival and the Year of Dog.
No serious injuries or fires were reported in the central areasof Beijing as
the week-long holiday kicked off to a perfect start.
Cleaners sweep away the wastepaper
of firecrackers in the street of Dalian,
coastal city of northeast China's Liaoning
Province Jan. 29.
Today's newspapers all carried stories about how people around the country
celebrated the auspicious Year of Dog in different ways - setting off
firecrackers, eating dumplings, burning incense, visiting temple
fairs and extending blessings to friends and family.
The 1.3 billion Chinese people have every reason to revel at the beginning of
a promising year to come.
In 2005, China's GDP went up by 9.9 percent, maintaining a rapid growth rate
that has lasted more than 20 years.
