Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
The Chinese Lunar New Year fell yesterday, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. And to fend off evil spirits and bad luck, people set off fireworks all over the country.
By Saturday night in Beijing, the fireworks sounded like a full-on barrage and will continue for the duration of the week-long holiday.
After weeks of the worst pollution in years in the capital, Beijing authorities will likely have kept a close eye on air-quality reports, as fireworks drive up the microparticle readings.
One firework that did not feature so strongly this year is the "Tokyo Big Bang"– for fears of heightening tension with Japan. Relations are under pressure as the two countries argue over who owns a string of small uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. The Chinese believe the noise can fend off evil spirits and bad luck. An official with the Beijing Office of Fireworks and Firecrackers told the Xinhua news agency that 750,000 boxes of fireworks went on sale this year, down from 810,000 in 2012. The number of franchised firework shops has also been reduced to 1,337 from last year's 1,429.
To meet the huge demand, fireworks are made, shipped and stored in large quantities, sometimes in unsafe conditions. A truck carrying fireworks for Lunar New Year blew up and collapsed an elevated section of motorway in central China, killing 10 people.
Nearly every year there is a catastrophe. In 2006, on the first day of the New Year, a storeroom filled with fireworks exploded in Henan, killing 36 people.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments