Will Beijing Ban Fireworks Within 5th Ring Road?

Remaining in Beijing during the Spring Festival holidays may be something to consider next year now that local authorities are proposing a ban on all fireworks within the city's Fifth Ring Road.

The draft resolution was introduced late last month and is now accepting public opinions, said the Legislative Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Government.

The proposed law coincides with fireworks falling out of favor with the Beijing public, falling victim to increased regulations, dropping sales and a greater awareness over their impact to the environment.

Last year, firecracker sales experienced a 31 percent year-on-year drop in sales, signifying a 74 percent decrease from 12 years ago. Local firework retailers dropped from 2,418 in 2010 to just 511 in 2017, while customers were forced to provide registration when buying large quanities.

Meanwhile, a spokespereson from the municipal department of environmental protection said firecracker use during Chinese New Year is responsible for 2-4 days of severe pollution, an amount specified by a spokesperson from the legislative office as being PM 2.5 levels averaging between 74-118 micrograms per cubic meter.

In 2015, PM 2.5 levels recorded in Xizhimen on the fifth day of the Lunar calendar exceeded 1,000 particles per square meter.

Despite acknowleging their role in annual traditions, Beijingers are turning their backs on fireworks. This past spring, a poll showed that 82.9 percent of Beijingers have no intention of setting off fireworks this year, a rise from 76.5 percent when the same question was asked a year before.

For everyone else, there's still a way to get the most bang for your buck. The proposed law would allow fireworks outside Beijing's Fifth Ring Road, but subject their use to restrictions imposed by local municipalities.

The Beijing government overturned a 13-year ban on fireworks in 2005, allowing city residents to use them under certain time and location restrictions. Beijing residents were only allowed to set off fireworks if air pollution conditions allowed for it, and even then were restricted to tightly-regulated opportunities.

Local firework use came under heavy scrutiny in 2009 when an illegal fireworks display caused the CCTV Hotel Tower to catch on fire, killing one firefighter, but did not lead to any sale restrictions the following year.

Images: Nanrenwo.net, fwmall.com.cn, 51danei.com

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