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or days and nights throughout the Spring Festival, Qingdao and cities across China will echo with the sound of fireworks, to see in the Lunar New Year of the Dog. They are the light, bright and noisy pyrotechnics that always work to put a smile on the faces of people of all ages. Unlike Western new year celebrations, fireworks serve as more than just entertainment in China. Their loud bangs are thought to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune for the new year ahead.
There are many stories that credit Chinese monk Li Tian from Liuyang with the discovery of fireworks. When the east of the province was struck with floods and droughts every year, Li Tian is said to have set off fireworks which dispelled the evil spirit causing the natural disasters to stop. A fireworks display in 800AD would be unlike anything we see today - there were no added colours, meaning the explosions would be plain white or orange. Later, people began inserting the gun powder into the hollow of bamboo sticks which when lit, would launch the fireworks into the air.
Accidental Discovery The significance of fireworks to the nation dates back to the invention of gunpowder in China up to two thousand years ago. Ancient Chinese legend has it that “huo yao” (meaning “fire chemical”) was an accidental discovery made by a cook working in a field kitchen who mixed sulphur, charcoal and potassium nitrate (then common kitchen ingredients) to create what is known today as gunpowder. Others credit the invention of gun powder to Taoist alchemists during the Han Dynasty (206BC – 220AD), who discovered the powder when trying to find an elixir of life. Gunpowder was such a significant discovery; it is listed as one of the Four Great Inventions of China. The Birthplace of Fireworks The earliest documentation of fireworks dates back to the seventh century Tang Dynasty, where fireworks or firecrackers consisted of gunpowder and paper, and were thrown onto the fire causing the mixture to explode.
It was thought that the series of noisy explosions created by fireworks would scare off evil spirits like Nian. According to ancient Chinese legend, the monster Nian would come out to eat villagers and destroy their homes on New Year’s Eve. The loud bangs were also thought to awaken the deities and bring good health, fortune and prosperity into the new year.
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from opening and encouraged old ones to close, with a push toward larger and safer production methods of the goods. In the last two years the Hunan Province has shut down more than 1100 unsafe firework production facilities. Safety and environmental concerns have also seen some areas banning fireworks. In Qingdao, fireworks can only be purchased and set off during the Spring Festival period. It was reported last month, the nation’s capital Beijing passed a regulation to ban fireworks within the Fifth Ring Road area of the city and restrict fireworks to certain times in other areas. The restrictions come after the number of heavy air pollution days have grown around the seven-day festival in the past five years. It was also reported that dozens of people were injured or killed in firework accidents during the Lunar New Year period since 2015.
Traditionally, each Chinese household would strive to set off the first firecrackers or fireworks of the new year at midnight on the first day of the New Year. The loudest bangs were said to bring the greatest fortune and prosperity for businesses and farming.
Despite this push for greater safety and air quality, fireworks have a strong connection to China and remain an integral part of the Spring Festival for Chinese families.
Liyuang Lights up the World
To scare away evil spirits and bring good fortune for the new year, Qingdao’s skies will be lit throughout the Spring Festival. A cacophony of fireworks can be heard on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Day (16 January) with locals setting off their own firecrackers and fireworks throughout the city.
Liyuang in China’s Hunan Province is known as the world’s firework capital. It is the main production area of fireworks in the world today and provides around 60 per cent of China’s US$600million pyrotechnics exports. There has been a push to shut down dangerous production facilities, following several accidents and deaths as a result of dangerous working conditions. In 2012, the province banned new factories
Qingdao’s Fireworks
You may also hear fireworks and firecrackers being set off before the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve (15 January) and as part of the Lantern Festival.
Legal date for letting off fireworks in Qingdao: 8, 15,16,17,18 February and 2 March Where to buy fireworks in Qingdao? Beer City Area: Intersections near Beer City (Laoshan District) Chongqing Nan Lu Area: Intersections near Hongbu 红埠 , Xiazhuang 夏庄 , Liuting 流亭
Maidao Area: Intersections near Qingdao University myredstar.com
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