Shanghai,China:Fireworks Inflame

Shanghai:Fireworks Inflame
Editor:Chinese Fireworks Blog Sep 28,2005
MORE than 100 people living in a residential community in Shanghai's Zhabei District are demanding a public apology from their new neighbor, who marked his early morning move into his new home on Monday with a loud fireworks display.

The complex's neighborhood committee and property management company said they tried to stop the family from setting off the fireworks, but failed.

Liu Qingling said he didn't realize he was doing anything wrong until a large number of people came out of their homes to protest the fireworks.

He said it is a tradition in his hometown in Fujian Province to choose an "auspicious moment" to move into a new home, and the occasion is always marked with firecrackers.

The situation almost turned violent when several residents criticized Liu and his family with sharp words and several fist fights broke out, which police had to stop.

"At the very beginning, I thought it was a rehearsal for the National Day fireworks pageant," said Zhang Jianping, a 78-year old man who lives on the 16th floor of the Xinlixiang Home Residential Complex on Luochuan Road M.

Zhang said he realized it wasn't a rehearsal when he looked at his clock and saw it was 1:45am.

"When I went out, I found the windows of my balcony were full of stains made by the firecrackers. Many residents had already run out of their homes. A quarrel began, and some people even tried to fight," he said.

Liu said he had apologized in several newspaper interviews, and he didn't mean to upset his neighbors.

"In Fujian, anyone who moves sets off firecrackers in order to get a blessing. We know it's not proper to do this in Shanghai, but we didn't mean to offend our neighbors," he said.

Liu and his family first set off fireworks outside the complex's main gate for 15 minutes and then set off more inside the compound, before his angry neighbors showed up.

The neighborhood committee said it will push Liu to post a public apology around the complex, and if he doesn't agree the police will be called in.

Technically, it is illegal to set off fireworks inside the Inner Ring Road, but the rule is often flaunted and police will only hand out punishments if the firecrackers start a fire or injure someone.