CD Firecrackers

The following article is an ACTUAL news story from the South China Morning Post, which is THE English language newspaper in Hong Kong. 

Villagers Resort to CD Firecrackers
Wed Feb 27, 2002
by Clifford Lo

New Territories villagers celebrating a traditional festival had to play a CD recording of firecrackers going off after more than 100 police stopped them from letting off illegal fireworks yesterday.

The action forced the festival in Shui Tan Tseun off Kam Tin Road to go ahead without real fireworks for the first time in about 100 years.

The villagers, who bought the CD as a precaution against the expected police operation, complained afterwards they were treated 'like criminals'.

Police set up a checkpoint at the entrance to the village two hours before the event began.

Village head Tang Kam-leung said: 'All the villagers and visitors were stopped for identity checks and their bags had to be checked by officers. Vehicles driving into the village were also inspected.

'Many police officers in uniform and plain clothes were deployed to different positions to monitor us. They treated us like criminals.

'We had promised that no firecrackers would be set off during the ceremony. Even though the change might affect our luck, we did not break our promise.'

Mr. Tang said it was the first year that no firecrackers were lit during the celebration. He said many villagers still believed firecrackers could ward off evil spirits and ensure good fortune for the rest of the year.

He said up to 500 villagers attended the event yesterday, compared to more than 1,000 people in the past.

Yuen Long district commander Chief Superintendent Trevor Oakes defended the police action, saying it was necessary to prevent disturbances.

Deputy Yuen Long district commander Senior Superintendent Yip Suen said the action was aimed at preventing people recklessly using firecrackers and endangering the lives of others.

He said that at last year's event a villager lit up a string of firecrackers in front of police.

Mr. Yip said this year more than 100 police, some equipped with extinguishers, had been sent to control the crowd during the four-hour festival.

Yesterday's celebration, which has been staged for about 100 years in the village outside Hung Shing Kung Temple, celebrates Chinese Valentine's Day and the birthday of Hung Shing Kung, the God of the Sea.

Firecrackers were banned in Hong Kong soon after the riots in 1967.

The SCMP is THE English language newspaper in HK. I do not buy the SCMP, but I do subscribe to their online edition and refer to it often. I am copying the article here from the SCMP with no permission whatsoever, but I'm telling you where it came from out of some weird (and baseless) sense that "it's cool to copy if I tell you where it came from"...

This article was first posted: 11 September 2002

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