By Cai Siyun, Vision Times
During Chinese New Year celebrations, residents across multiple regions in China were seen ignoring official bans on fireworks and firecrackers, setting off widespread displays that online commentators have dubbed a “firecracker defense war.” Videos circulating on social media show large crowds lighting fireworks despite restrictions, while police were seen mobilizing in the streets to enforce the bans and detain violators.
Fireworks have long been a central part of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, believed to drive away evil spirits and bring good fortune. But in recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expanded strict “full-area bans” in many cities and rural counties by prohibiting the production, sale, transport, and use of any fireworks.
Sweeping bans
In Tangshan, Hebei Province, authorities have enforced a citywide fireworks ban since 2021, with no sign of reversal. Firecrackers are prohibited year-round across the entire municipality. Only large-scale fireworks displays approved in advance may take place at designated times and locations. Officials have vowed intensified supervision and harsh punishment for violations.
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Yantai, Shandong Province, has also implemented a blanket ban covering all villages, residential areas, and key public sites. Items such as “cold-light fireworks” and sky lanterns are included. Violators may face warnings, fines, administrative detention, and in serious cases, criminal prosecution. Authorities have even established fireworks exchange points to reduce the risks of households storing explosives.
In Anyang, Henan Province, officials announced that the Lunar New Year ban would remain in force “without any exception zones or special time periods.” Regulations prohibit any individual or organization from producing, selling, storing, transporting, or setting off fireworks. Managers of public venues and property companies are required to monitor and discourage violations. Reporting illegal activity may result in rewards.
Other parts of Henan, including Yiyang County, Hebi, and Xinxiang, also continued strict year-round bans, with fines and enforcement actions targeting both individuals and businesses.
Authorities justify these policies as necessary for air quality protection, citing pollution from fireworks such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate dust that can harm public health. However, critics argue that officials should adopt a more humane approach toward deeply rooted folk traditions, allowing regulated celebrations rather than sweeping prohibitions.
Massive backlash
This Lunar New Year, what some describe as a grassroots confrontation unfolded in several areas. Videos shared online show residents in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and other regions setting off fireworks on New Year’s Eve and into the early hours of the first day of the year, openly defying restrictions.
Some netizens labeled the phenomenon a “firecracker defense war,” adding subtle subtitles implying broader dissatisfaction with the authorities.
On Feb. 17, an account called “No King, No Emperor (Aoxite Special Warfare Brigade)” posted footage on X, writing: “Hebei people bombard the moat with fireworks and firecrackers, striking back at the CCP, no one listens to the Party. The CCP’s strict defense collapses in total defeat! Hebei victory, the CCP loses control, Beijing and Tianjin are also setting off fireworks!”
Another account, “Overseas Revelations,” posted: “Countless Chinese people poured out of their homes to set off fireworks. Countless police poured into the streets to arrest people.”
Defying authorities
Online reactions were sharply critical of the CCP’s crackdown, with many accusing authorities of suppressing traditional customs. One user wrote, “Setting off firecrackers has been a Chinese tradition since ancient times to drive away evil spirits. Only demons are afraid of fireworks.”
Others argued that fireworks celebrations boost economic activity: “Traditional activities are festive, lively, and drive consumption. This CCP is both stupid and malicious!” Another comment mocked the contradiction between official rhetoric and policy: “Thousands of years of tradition, and the CCP bans it with one order. Who says the CCP is promoting Chinese culture?”
One particularly biting remark read: “They don’t look for missing children, instead they arrest people setting off fireworks. What’s the use of raising these trash police?”
Reports of pre-holiday surveillance
Some netizens claimed that enforcement efforts escalated dramatically before the holiday, particularly in Hebei. Alleged measures included door-to-door inspections, drone surveillance, specialized firecracker detection equipment, trunk searches, and nighttime patrols by neighborhood grid workers.
These reports have not been officially confirmed, but they fueled public skepticism over what many described as wasteful and disruptive policing. Fireworks bans in China have fluctuated in recent years, with some local governments tightening restrictions for environmental and safety reasons, while others temporarily relax them.
This year’s widespread and concentrated fireworks displays, especially in major municipalities like Beijing and Tianjin, have challenged enforcement and led some commentators to claim the CCP is “losing control” over the people.
Once a simple New Year folk custom, fireworks have increasingly taken on symbolic meaning amid economic pressure, social frustration, and growing public sensitivity toward state intrusion into private life. What was once merely a festive tradition has, for many, become a visible expression of cultural resistance during China’s most important holiday.
