28 January 2006
International
Beijing set for loud, dangerous Year of the Dog
- By Robert J. Saiget
Beijing, Jan. 27: Beijing is bracing for its loudest, brightest and perhaps most dangerous lunar new year in over a decade as it welcomes back one of its favourite traditions - the fireworks frenzy.
The Chinese capital, home to around 15 million people, has endured relatively subdued lunar new year celebrations since a ban on the explosive merry makers was put in place for nearly 200 cities across China in 1994. Safety concerns over the gun powder filled mini explosives - with names like cherry bombs, Roman candles, bottle rockets and firewheels - were a major reason for the ban, as was noise and air pollution.
But the ban was lifted for this year's lunar new year in Beijing following similar moves in around 100 other cities 12 months earlier, much to the delight of ordinary Beijingers, manufacturers, sellers and the tax man.
"This is a long held tradition in China, so the ban was not totally reasonable," Ms Chen Ailin, a middle aged Beijinger said as her 11-year old son browsed at a fireworks shop ahead of Sunday's lunar new year day.
"It's a shame that young kids these days don't know about fireworks. They were losing a tradition, so its good they lifted the ban."
Letting off fireworks on lunar new year's eve is a long held tradition based on the belief that the noise will ward off evil spirits and ghosts trying to enter the new year.
Popular demand was a major driver in the return of the fireworks, but shopkeepers at some of the 17 government approved outlets in Beijing said this week the modern versions were also safer and more environmentally friendly.
However, perhaps more importantly and reflective of modern China, Mr Liu Defu, one of the shop managers, said the ban was also lifted because profits for industry and government were just too big to ignore.
"You can say that the government has lifted the ban due to public demand," Mr Liu said.
"But the main reason is that the state can collect revenue and employ more people." After paying off suppliers, Mr Liu said he would pocket between 10 and 15 per cent of what he sold and the rest would go to the state.
Among the most expensive items on sale in Beijing are items such as the "Dream Dragon Flower," a cake-like looking box that purportedly shoots out a shower of coloured flames.
Another item, "Happy Colourful World," is a big box of assorted firecrackers and fireworks.
Each sells for $36, up to a third of an average monthly urban salary, while a popular package of Roman candles - long tubes that shoot out coloured balls of fire - are selling for between 40 and 90 yuan.
"What you could buy for $0.12 12 years ago is going to cost 10 times more today," a salesman surnamed Mr Jia said.
Mr Lan Faren, an official at the Tianyun Fireworks Factory in central China's Hunan province, said the lifting of the ban around the country had greatly increased his company's revenue and made it less reliant on exports. "We are expecting sales volumes of 100 million yuan in Beijing and Shanghai this year," Mr Lan said. (AFP)