Yes we have all seen fireworks, but not all of us have seen or experienced them on the scale the Chinese bring it. On New Year's eve, the whole sky explodes with light. The air becomes smokier and smokier, the air gets warmer minute by minute from all the explosions and as the night goes on, the fireworks are, simply put, amazing.
Gunpowder was invented in China in about 850 AD, during the Tang Dynasty. It's original use was for fireworks (although the Song Dynasty did use it for military purposes), and let's just say China has still not let us down. In America we see cool shows for holidays, but in China fireworks are such a huge part of life. When a new store opens, firecrackers are let off; for a wedding, there are fire-poppers; and during any holiday, fireworks are a must.
While for the most part there is no organized show, there are still hundreds, if not thousands of people letting off fireworks all on one night, usually within the same hour, all over the city. Imagine that, if you can.
The next day all you see is the carnage of the leftover firecrackers and fireworks, spread out all over the ground. Most cleaning people have the week off, so they will be around for awhile.
It's a cool night. One that's fun to celebrate with the people you are living among. There are definitely inconveniences (most stores close down and transportation become a bit harder). But in my opinion, its so worth it,
*People put money in red envelopes and hand them out during the New Year
*I did not take any of these photos, googled them and borrowed them from www.hdwallpapersarena.com and www.bbc.co.uk,
