华尔街英语

朕哥

Fireworks For Sale In Beijing
Since a 12-year ban on the sale of fireworks in Beijing ended in September, stores have started to gear up for the Spring Festival in anticipation of good fireworks sales.
Across the city, over 2,100 registered stores and retailers, 585 in the city center and 1,600 closer to the city limits, are selling fireworks. Sales of fireworks started on January 22 and will last until February 12, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Approximately 600,000 boxes of firecrackers worth more than 100 million yuan (US$12.5 million) have been distributed to the stores. Shop owners are optimistic that sales will be excellent, as Beijing residents recall with fondness the tradition of setting off firecrackers during the Lunar New Year, and many are eager to resume this old custom. The Chinese capital had instituted a ban in 1993 to improve safety; fireworks had previously caused fires, injuries, and deaths during the holiday season.
According to new rules, Beijing residents are allowed to set off fireworks within the Fifth Ring Road all day on Lunar New Year\"s Eve and Lunar New Year\"s day, and from 7 am to midnight every day from January 30 to February 12.
Residents had mixed feelings about the lifting of the ban. While some claimed that Spring Festival could not be complete without the tradition of setting off fireworks to scare away evil spirits, others complained about the noise pollution it causes.