Starting before the Spring Festival, there has been a massive ant-fireworks campaign. I’ve seen posters regarding the different problems associated with fireworks (injuries, buildings catching on fire, the mess afterwards, etc) plastered throughout the city.

I think this is the most poignant one… a teddy bear, in a gas mask, holding a stick with firecrackers on it, and sitting behind an alarm clock with the (PM 2.5) Air Quality Index printed on the face of the clock.

There has been a substantial reduction in the fireworks used over the seven Spring Festival seasons I’ve been here. If fireworks are to be used, people are told to do so outside of the Fifth Ring Road. And, even though there are still shops (more like temporary metal sheds) setup inside of the Fifth Ring Road, there are fewer then I remember from previous years, and I’ve not seen any kind of queuing.

btw, whenever I see someone (something?) donning a gas mask, it brings to mind images from Edward Weston’s Civil Defense series, such as this print.