Saturday night was probably the closest I will ever come to experiencing life in a war zone (figuratively speaking!). With the Chinese New Year festivities upon us again, it seems every man, woman, and child were out setting off fireworks on the streets, out of windows, and more worryingly at each other!
With the government ban on fireworks in Beijing being lifted only 2 years ago, it seems everyone was in some sort of fever to set off as many as they could, and they certainly succeeded. Throughout the city, it sounded as if gun battles were taking place, with loud bangers ricocheting off every wall throughout the day and night, reaching a crescendo at midnight with apocalyptic magnitude!
Here’s another 15-second taster:
It’s now four days later, and there are still a few going off in the evenings, although things have calmed down somewhat. I dread to imagine how many people lost fingers or eyes over the past week!
Update (22/2): It’s now the fifth day of the new year, which, I’ve been informed, means more fireworks. Will it ever stop?!
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