Beijingers support lift of firecracker ban
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-01-29 10:38

Eighty-one percent of respondents to a recent survey in Beijing declared their support for removal of the ban on firecrackers during the Spring Festival, which began on Sunday.

Last September, Beijing lifted a 12-year ban on fireworks, allowing residents to set off fire-crackers in designated areas during the Lunar New Year and other important festivals.

Among the 300 Beijing residents that were interviewed, 95 percent said they were aware of the change, according to a report published by the Social Survey Institute of China, a former government institution, on Sunday.

"Those in favour of removing the ban said the fireworks should be preserved because it is part of traditional Chinese culture, while those against the removal said the fireworks make noise, pollute the air and are a potential for fire risk," the report said.

Safety is the biggest issue accounted for, as 73 percent of the respondents said that they will buy firecrackers and fireworks from franchisers.

According to the survey, more than 90 percent of the respondents said they will spend less than 500 yuan (62.5 U.S. dollars) on fire-crackers.

"The policy change is redeeming people's excitement and appetite for the New Year," the report concluded.