I wanted to share with you my experience of ringing in the Chinese New Year by posting a video and my original journal entry as I watched the most impressive display of fireworks I have ever seen from my hotel window.
From sunset to sunrise the streets of Beijing were popping and booming and the ears of every human in and out of the city were ringing from the blasts. I have to say, I was uneasy at first. I flinched every time a firework went off for probably the first hour of the first night we were there: Lunar New Year's Eve. If I closed my eyes to hide all of the smiling faces with their black cats and roman candles I could of been in the middle of a battle zone. Of course without the genuine fear of being blown up at any moment.
A 12 year-ban against fireworks was lifted in 2005 allowing citizens of Beijing to pop celebratory fireworks from 11 pm on the first day of the first lunar month and from 7am until 11 pm for the following 2 weeks. Popping fireworks has traditionally been viewed as a symbol of happiness and BOYHOWDY, do they know how to set 'em off!
(please excuse my language in the video, I believe I use the holy 's' phrase)
After making the video, I sat on the bed and wrote in my journal, here is an excerpt (a personal and cheesy excerpt):
" It's 12:08 a.m. Chinese time. I am sitting on the 8th floor of my hotel and all I can see for miles are fireworks. It is truly one of the most amazing things I have seen and felt in my entire life! These fireworks aren't like any other fireworks. These FIREWORKS ARE IN BEIJING, CHINA! Jovan- U are in CHINA-yeah, might not be a big deal considering you currently reside in Asia, but it is a big deal because you live in Korea and Korea is very different from China!!! When I looked up some information last year on Chinese New Year, I had no clue that I would be among the Chinese celebrating it a year or so later-O. MY. Goodness!!!"
"Lunar New Year is a family holiday, and due to finacial difficulties of the past, it was a holiday where families would eat better food than usual and purchase new items such as shoes for the upcoming year. According to our awesome tour guide Lina, because China is no longer struggling as they used to, now they say everyday is Lunar New's Year Day. Lina also said dumplings are often eaten on New Year's Day, and the cook will place a coin inside a dumpling leaving it's recipient with good luck all year long. "
"Look at all of these fireworks! Spectacular! Huge, sparkling ones! Beautiful, huge, bright sparkling ones!"
"I learned so much today seriously. First, we went to Tiananmen Square and then walked from the south end to the north end of the Forbidden City -it sounds like a war is going out there-! After the Forbidden City we went to a tea shop and learned about traditional Chinese tea drinking. Then we went to an acrobatic show -super cool, but I was so exhausted I fell asleep. whoops."
"People are shooting off the craziest fireworks right outside my hotel, so they are exploding right outside my window!!! The rest of the city seems to have slowed down a bit according to my observations from this angle. I think some might pop 'em until they've popped 'em all! This is the longest fireworks show of my life! They have been non stop since we arrived at the hotel tonight. Well, maybe not the big ones, but almost. Truly an amazing experience. I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you God, thank you! this moment is priceless and I hope I never forget this experience for the rest of my life! This is living!"
