The last night of Spring Festival ends with a bang.
Or more accurately, about five hours of bangs! It makes any Fourth of July firework festivities look like a kindergartner’s drawing held up next to the Mona Lisa and being asked which do you like.
Leading up to the non-stop firework extravaganza, I spent the better part of the day with a Chinese colleague and her extended family. She is a free spirit and we just click!
The day was topped off with a walk in the neighborhood. These pictures don’t do it justice, but the will still give you a glimpse of but one small neighborhood in one big city in a large country.
On bridge near my house, a small crowd gathered for the lighting of this lantern.
At first when it was released it sank down to the frozen canal. But slowly she righted herself, and the flame filled the lantern with heat, and off she went.
{This video is a tad out of focus at first, but keep watching and see how many cars come stop to watch. It’s not long and will give you a sense of the type of noise.}
I love this dad! We watched him carry his daughter out — since he was the only adult I saw in his pj’s, I wonder if he was ready to be home for the night and his daughter wondered what was going on and being a good day, he picked her up and took her outside. I watched him mount these stairs with her in his arms.
This is my favorite picture from the night. A dad, a daughter and fireworks.
Can you imagine how much trash was generated on this night?
It’s not midnight yet, but I’m going to call it a night and fall asleep to the festivities. Happy Year of the Snake everyone!
Q4U: If you’re in China, how was your night? One of the funniest parts of the day was my Chinese friends monitoring the air quality. Let’s just say, it’s gotten worse in the last few hours :). For everyone: what did the photo of the dad and daughter make you think of? What do you remember of fireworks when you were a kid?
Disneyland?
Oh my word. I had totally missed it, but now that you say it …
The picture speaks to me of enjoying life from the safety of your Father’s arms – a Father who would do anything for you, even wear pajamas in public! I see the prodigal’s Father gathering up His robes and running to meet him with no concern for what others might think. I see freedom.
Freedom … Kristi, I love that you see poetically. Thanks. Your comment really spoke to me.
Nick and Shep went out to send off a paper lantern, which after being successfully launched, burst into flames, lodged in a tree and burned itself out. We’re particularly grateful not to be responsible for arson this morning. Basil is cuddly by nature. He’s been ill which makes him more so and with all of the bangs, he spent the whole evening in my arms. We stood on our yangtai for a long time watching the lanterns and fireworks and he fell asleep in my arms. It was a sweet time.
Oh Kim, this just makes me smile on so many levels. Comfort. Fire/Arson. Family!
The photo brought a smile to my face as well as made me think of one of my students. She just lost her father this past January. It is something that has brought her and I closer because she knows I have been on the same journey she is now on.It is a good picture that speaks a thousand words. :)
Or more!
As the booming continued well into the night – past the time I was at the “okay, okay, enough already” stage – I couldn’t help but wonder for how many this night was a scary one. How many truly believed, or even thought it was a possibility, that the noise would chase off spirits and were desperately trying to do so?
Probably more than we’d like to admit. Thanks for the reminder!
Amy, looks like it was a wonderful time!