Despite cases of illegally lit firecrackers reported during the Spring Festival period, Beijing police have continued a major crackdown on the illegal manufacture, sale and igniting of fireworks.

Local police smashed 720 cases of illegal fireworks dealing from Oct. 2003 to Feb. 2, said Yu Hongyuan, deputy director of the city public security bureau on Wednesday.

To improve public awareness of the fireworks ban, police officers distributed over 4 million copies of publicity materials and over 30,000 posters from Jan. 1 to the Spring Festival, a traditional time of family gatherings, which fell on Jan. 22 this year.

Beijing's eight urban districts and some suburban areas have banned firecrackers since 1993, but some Beijingers are still reluctant to farewell a traditional method of celebration.

At midnight of Jan. 21, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, many Beijingers welcomed the Year of the Monkey with firecrackers.

Bright flashes and loud booms have been seen and heard around the city proper even in recent days as it is traditionally regarded that the festival concludes on Thursday, the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar or the festival of lanterns.

Illegally-lit firecrackers claimed four lives and injured 307 during the festival period, according to statistics from the city health bureau.

Beijing's fire control department received reports of 871 fires from Jan. 21 to 26, a 157 percent rise from the figure for the corresponding period last year. Two people died in fires.

Over 210,000 police officers and security guards were patrolling the streets from Jan. 22 to 26

The city government designated 52 special zones for setting off firecrackers in suburban areas in the festival period.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2004)