Chin?° welcomed the Year of the Ox · 2009-01-27 13:24
About 30,000 sanitation employees in China's finance hub worked through the night to sweep up some 1,200 tonnes of fireworks debris, left behind by revelers on Sunday evening as they welcomed in the Lunar New Year.
In the capital Beijing, more than 5,000 sanitation workers in 1,500 road sweepers collected 69 tonnes of fireworks debris, 14 tonnes more than last year.
The seven-day holiday is the country's most important festival, Xinhua reports.
Millions of Chinese celebrated the beginning of the Lunar New Year. Revelers partied into the early hours Monday, January 26, with almost non-stop fireworks.
The loud sound of firecrackers scared small children and set off car alarms. For Chinese, the sound is also meant to scare off bad spirits, to help ensure the new year will be a good one.
The Chinese zodiac system is based on animals. This new year is the Year of the Ox, an animal that symbolizes calm, hard work, resolve and tenacity, Voice of America informs.
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