Birthday of 'God of Wealth' a breath of fresh air

In Shanghai, people used to set off fireworks and firecrackers around midnight on the fourth day of the Chinese lunar new year to mark the birthday of the God of Wealth, which resulted in bad air. But that has not been the case since the firework ban in 2016.

At 1am this morning, the concentration of PM2.5 only reached 9 milligrams per cubic meter, and from 2 to 7am the number stayed below 6 milligrams per cubic meter, which means that residents got to celebrate the birthday of the God of Wealth while breathing excellent air.

The most “polluted” spot in the whole city at 1am was Yingpu subdistrict in suburban Qingpu District, but the concentration of PM2.5 was only 22 milligrams per cubic meter. The best air was measured in Huangpu District, according to environment authorities.

Shanghai has banned fireworks and firecrackers within the Outer Ring Road since 2016.

Outside the banned area, 624 kilograms of used fireworks and firecrackers were cleaned up from the streets, a 75 percent drop from last year, which means that residents are using them less and less, according to the government.

So far this holiday, the city’s street cleaners have cleaned up about 1,600 kilograms of fireworks and firecrackers, while the number for the same period last year was 4,800 kilograms.