Today is the 15th day of the Lunar New Year 元宵, an important date on the Chinese calendar. The family would gather together for dinner and celebrate the new year by lighting lanterns and fireworks.
Beijing has become a bad example of where you should hold a fireworks celebration.
Soon after 8 pm (local time), the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel caught fire as a result of fireworks let off in the vicinity. According to a China Daily report, the hotel was occupied during the Olympics but has since been vacant and is scheduled to officially open in mid-2009. This likely means that the rooms are furnished but there weren't any guests. The authorities are finding out if any construction workers or staff may be trapped in there. They are also reported to be investigating the cause of the fire.
In a video shot by a CNN viewer, you can still hear fireworks popping as the building burns.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel is part of the CCTV grand project. The main building is made up of two blocks that were built separately and made to meet midway, looking like what the Chinese called "The Pants". Based on estimation on Google Earth, the hotel and Pants are just about 70m apart.
How's this for a pyrotechnics extravaganza?
Some of you may have seen my entry on New Year's Day where we had fun with fireworks in Finland. Whether city organisers or individuals, the Finns chose open spaces that are not close to buildings or trees.
Beijing is such a congested city. The CCTV towers are situated in a densely populated area near the East Third Ring Road, surrounded by residential estates and offices. People should NOT be playing with fireworks in this part of town. Maybe sparklers, but not firecrackers that shoot up into the sky and where trajectories sometimes fly out of control.
The fire brigade took about 20 minutes to get to the scene. CCTV reported 54 fire engines and troops from the Army rushed to put out the fire. However, water jets could not reach above 14 stories. The building would just have to be left to burn.
The new CCTV project is very close to where we lived in Beijing. We passed the buildings every day on the way to school or to work. We watched the scaffolding go up and when it was time for us to leave, the two buildings finally "kissed". One more successful milestone to glory.
Together with the Olympics venues Bird's Nest and Aqua Cube, these are symbols of a new Beijing - a modern and avant-garde city at the cutting edge of technology and lifestyle. Often the focus of TV documentaries, architecture and lifestyle magazines, they are China's pride and joy.
Despite the magnitude of the event, CCTV News dedicated just 20 seconds to it. The report centred on which VIPs, such as the mayors and CCTV chiefs, came quickly to the scene and by then, the fire had died down.
Tonight, we are reminded of the World Trade Centre Towers in NY. Thankfully, human casualties will be low. On the other hand, we see how recklessness can spark the swift and magnificent destruction of years of hard work.
* Pictures from www.xinhua.org.
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