boom Boom BOOM!

On one of my first days in Beijing, I heard a series of loud, bomb-like sounds. At first, I thought there was an air raid going on. I considered going into one of the underground parking garages in our apartment complex. But, when I looked out of my window, no one outside seemed concerned about the bombs. So, then, I decided that the construction site about a block away must be using some sort of explosives. Since it was so far away, I decided that I was fine in my apartment and I went about my business.

Well, about two days later, the explosives were back. Then, they came back a third time and a fourth time. Now, it seems like four days a week, our apartment complex is under attack for about ten minutes at a time.

After asking around, I finally found out what these jolting sounds are – they are firecrackers! Apparently, Chinese people use firecrackers for a lot of reasons. Firecrackers are used to celebrate a birth, a wedding, a new home, a new business, some holidays, and during funeral processions.  With the exception of funerals, these are all happy occasions so, I guess it’s a good sign that I heard firecrackers so often in my neighborhood.

It makes sense that China, the place where gunpowder and fireworks were invented, and still the world’s leading manufacturer of fireworks and firecrackers, would have so many of them. However, it still startles me every time I hear one.

They may look like this...

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but, they sound like this.

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Firecracker Pic: http://www.thechildmindingshop.co.uk/mini-chinese-firecracker-decoration-4246-p.asp

Plane Pic: http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/us-bomb-database-useful-for-past-present-wars.html