<p>Beijing: Chinese lawmakers on Friday weighed in on a fiery online debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the Lunar New Year in February, saying a total ban on pyrotechnics in the country credited with inventing them would be hard to implement.</p><p>In an unusually frank response, lawmakers said air pollution prevention laws and fire safety regulations have led to "differences in understanding" of the ban on fireworks, which was never absolute.</p><p>In 2017, official data showed 444 cities had banned fireworks. Since then, some cities have scaled back curbs, allowing fireworks at certain times of the year and at designated venues.</p><p>This month, however, many counties rolled out notices prohibiting fireworks, rekindling discussion on the ban.</p><p>"We've the right to fireworks," wrote a user of Weibo, a popular Chinese microblog.</p><p>According to folklore, the earliest fireworks were invented 2,000 years ago to drive away the "nian", a mythical beast that preyed on people and livestock on the eve of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.</p>.Nepal 2023: Political stability, high-level meetings with India & China and quakes.<p>Since then, fireworks have been used to celebrate other occasions: this January, after three years of Covid-19 curbs were lifted, some people defied bans, and authorities and set off firecrackers.</p><p>But some Chinese said the firework bans were necessary to protect the environment.</p><p>"It should be regulated due to pollution and safety (fire) hazards," a Weibo user said.</p><p>In an online poll by the official Beijing Youth Daily this week, however, over 80% of respondents expressed support for fireworks during the Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar.</p><p>Some also said the ban was ironic after the United Nations last week adopted the Spring Festival as an official holiday, a move cheered by Chinese officials.</p><p>"The Spring Festival belongs to the world, but China's is almost gone," wrote another Weibo user.</p><p>In southern Hunan province, a major fireworks manufacturing hub, exports totalled 4.11 billion yuan ($579 million) in January to November, state media reported, far exceeding domestic sales. ($1 = 7.0974 yuan).</p>
<p>Beijing: Chinese lawmakers on Friday weighed in on a fiery online debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the Lunar New Year in February, saying a total ban on pyrotechnics in the country credited with inventing them would be hard to implement.</p><p>In an unusually frank response, lawmakers said air pollution prevention laws and fire safety regulations have led to "differences in understanding" of the ban on fireworks, which was never absolute.</p><p>In 2017, official data showed 444 cities had banned fireworks. Since then, some cities have scaled back curbs, allowing fireworks at certain times of the year and at designated venues.</p><p>This month, however, many counties rolled out notices prohibiting fireworks, rekindling discussion on the ban.</p><p>"We've the right to fireworks," wrote a user of Weibo, a popular Chinese microblog.</p><p>According to folklore, the earliest fireworks were invented 2,000 years ago to drive away the "nian", a mythical beast that preyed on people and livestock on the eve of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.</p>.Nepal 2023: Political stability, high-level meetings with India & China and quakes.<p>Since then, fireworks have been used to celebrate other occasions: this January, after three years of Covid-19 curbs were lifted, some people defied bans, and authorities and set off firecrackers.</p><p>But some Chinese said the firework bans were necessary to protect the environment.</p><p>"It should be regulated due to pollution and safety (fire) hazards," a Weibo user said.</p><p>In an online poll by the official Beijing Youth Daily this week, however, over 80% of respondents expressed support for fireworks during the Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar.</p><p>Some also said the ban was ironic after the United Nations last week adopted the Spring Festival as an official holiday, a move cheered by Chinese officials.</p><p>"The Spring Festival belongs to the world, but China's is almost gone," wrote another Weibo user.</p><p>In southern Hunan province, a major fireworks manufacturing hub, exports totalled 4.11 billion yuan ($579 million) in January to November, state media reported, far exceeding domestic sales. ($1 = 7.0974 yuan).</p>