As the final moments of 2023 ticked away, major cities in the Chinese mainland witnessed crowds gathering at iconic landmarks for the New Year's Eve countdown.
Despite explicit declarations from city governments ruling out any form of fireworks display, a new and unconventional mode of celebration emerged as the highlight — balloon showers, where crowds simultaneously released balloons into the air, creating a spectacular scene.
However, the issues associated with this form of celebration quickly became apparent, reaching meteorological proportions.
Balloons caused "clutter" detected by the Central Meteorological Observatory's radar. Image via 中国气象爱好者/China Meteorology Enthusiasts/Sina Weibo
According to a report from China Meteorology Enthusiasts on Weibo:
"Balloons released in celebration of the New Year in major cities are rising into the air, and the 'clutter' caused by these ascending balloons has already been detected on the Central Meteorological Observatory's radar!"
Erroneous forecast caused by the multitude of balloons in the air. App screenshot by Travel Radar
Subsequently, on numerous meteorological apps, some cities displayed "moderate snow," which, in reality, was an erroneous forecast caused by the multitude of balloons in the air.
Not only that, but some balloons also triggered accidents.
Video showing balloons triggered explosions in Wuhan. Video via 四川观察/Sina Weibo
In the early hours of January 1, as the New Year dawned on Jianghan Road Pedestrian Street in Wuhan, tens of thousands of people collectively released a large number of balloons, including hydrogen balloons that collided with high-voltage lines, causing explosions.
Fortunately, the incident did not result in any casualties.
However, the Wuhan government promptly imposed strict controls on flying objects such as Kongming lanterns, floating balloons, and drones.
Hong Kong New Year's Eve Countdown fireworks display. Image via Hong Kong Tourism Board
Outside the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao welcomed their annual spectacular fireworks displays, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to usher in the New Year.
Meanwhile, cities around the world, including Tokyo, Sydney, Auckland, Bangkok, Singapore, and Dubai, celebrated with magnificent fireworks, drawing crowds of tourists.
Some Chinese netizens expressed surprise, noting that as the birthplace of fireworks, China has the strictest controls on them.
What are your thoughts on this new way of celebrating the New Year with balloon releases? Feel free to share your views with us. Stay tuned for the latest and most interesting news in China by following our WeChat official account, ThatsGBA.
[Cover image via 广州日报/Guangzhou Daily]
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