Last night and early this morning, heavy machine gun fire could be heard all over Beijing, while anti-aircraft tracers lid up the sky. NOT. The sounds and light show was coming from the explosion of benign firecrackers. Well, actually they are not so innocent, because one man was killed in Beijing, two others had an eyeball removed and 270 people got wounded, while the setting off of firecrackers caused 249 fires.
For 12 years there was a ban on firecrackers in Beijing, which was only lifted last year. The police couldn't enforce it anyway. So the ban was rescinded, a good example of the pragmatic approach of China's leaders. According to folk belief, the noise of the firecrackers will scare away bad demons and ensure a good year.
The New Year period is also marked by travel chaos. The Chinese railways expect 156 million travelers on family visits. The traditional temple fairs are equally very crowded affairs, with millions of Beijingers expected to visit them during the holiday week. The year of the pig is supposed to be good for making babies, so expect a little bump in the population statistics.
To the readers of this blog: best wishes for a very happy and prosperous Year of the Pig!
No comments:
Post a Comment