I may have spoken too soon about Amsterdam. Shanghai has banned fireworks at Chinese New Year (since a huge number of the city’s firefighters go back to their hometowns to be with their families.) Apparently, fires are no concern in snow-covered Xinjiang. I could see fireworks in every direction out my hotel window. The deafening sound of firecrackers went on for days.
This picture sums up my Chinese New Year in Ürümqi: firecracker debris in the snow.
