Following the partial lifting of the ban on firecrackers in
urban areas of Beijing, their use will be permitted on January 28
and 29 (the Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve and New Year's Day), as
well as between 7 AM and midnight after that until the 15th day of
the first lunar month.
According to Beijing Evening News on November 21,
firecrackers worth 93 million yuan (US$11.51 million) will be
legally delivered to the capital by the end of the year, three
times the quantity available in 1993 when they were totally banned
in urban areas.
The paper said 80 percent of them will enter the market from
January 1 to January 29, the day of
Spring Festival, and there should be more small-sized than
big-sized firecrackers available in urban areas.
Beijing Firecrackers Quality Supervision Station was also
established by the new policy to examine firecrackers before they
can be sold in the city legally.
The size, labeling and packaging of firecrackers will be
examined and gunpowder samples collected for analysis.
A series of tests, including impact, friction, fire, heat as
well as a measure of the blast produced, will be used to assess the
safety of the gunpowder used.
Tests simulating possible storage and transportation conditions,
including high temperature, low temperature and freefall, will also
be conducted.
Other measures gauged will include ignition times, noise levels
and height of fireworks.
Although most firecrackers will have passed tests at factories
and with local authorities before transportation, it is still
necessary to examine them before they enter the market in Beijing
because their quality may change while being stored and moved.
Beijing Firecrackers Quality Supervision Station will also be
responsible for providing investigation reports after accidents
that take place during firecracker production, storage,
transportation and use.
(China.org.cn by Wang Sining, December 7, 2005)