Fireworks Welcoming to the Year of the Ox

Midnight on Monday (late Sunday evening) was wild. Blasts, whistles, pops and cracks collided on the airwaves for some hours. I live in a Beijing suburb beyond the 5th Ring Road, an area which is a mix of international schools, housing developments, small villages, farmland and modest apartment complexes. Traffic was practically non-existent, except for the people looking to set off their fireworks and the occasional police car looking out for really dangerous stuff. (What that constitutes is beyond me, since there seem to be NO safety protocols in place for any of these private light and sound shows!) The photo was taken at 12:40 a.m., and fireworks were STILL going strong then!


I attach a short 5-minute film clip showing fireworks and firecrackers being set off in my area so you can be part of the festivities, too. Again, Happy Niu Year!