To ensure people's safety and a quiet city life as before in Beijing, a strict ban will still be ordered by the municipal government to prohibit all possible setting off of fireworks in the city proper during the first New Year and Spring Festival days in the 21st century.

Since imposing a ban on firecrackers from December 1, 1993 on, several years have passed quite peacefully in Beijing. But more often than not against these were many violations that had not been wholly ruled out in the past two years. Fires from setting off fireworks during last Spring Festival days had even been up to as many as 34, resulting in a death toll of 2 and over 270 injuries.

(People’s Daily 12/05/2000)