On Sunday, the eve of the Lunar New Year, Shanghai downtown resident Wei said he was the 6,403rd person to promise on instant messaging app WeChat not to set off fireworks this year.
Wei's promise echoed many banners and short messages sent to residents by local police calling for no fireworks after a safety regulation was approved at the end of last year to ban fireworks within the inner-city ring area out of safety and pollution concerns.
Chinese authorities are on high alert for public safety as the country embraced the Spring Festival holiday, a joyous occasion also characterized by fireworks, mass celebrations and heavy traffic.
The Ministry of Public Security told police to step up fire safety management and emergency response as the holiday season means an increase in fires and other accidents.
Vice Minister Li Wei urged police departments at all levels to analyze and evaluate fire risks, increase enforcement of fire codes and improve emergency responses, keeping a closer eye on firecrackers, large-scale gatherings, galas and other mass activities.
Ministry data shows the number of people arrested for starting fires increased 124 percent year on year last year thanks to strengthened law enforcement. The ministry described the overall "fire situation" as stable.
However, the statement noted that fire code violations were still prominent in some venues and small but fatal fires occur regularly. It urged local governments to increase funding for fire prevention and control facilities and devices.
In August, two explosions in a warehouse storing hazardous chemicals ripped through nearby residences in Beijing's neighbor Tianjin. The blast claimed 173 lives, including 104 firefighters.
At the beginning of 2016, President Xi Jinping called for measures to stem the frequent occurrence of accidents arising from production safety risks at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
"These blood lessons have warned us that public safety should never be taken lightly... and responsibilities for production safety must be spelled out and fulfilled," Xi said.
Xi's comments followed the collapse of a large pile of construction waste in south China's Guangdong Province that killed at least 58 people in Dec.
He cited urban construction projects, outdated houses, waste sites, mines, gas pipes, underground tunnels, dangerous chemicals, glass walls, firecrackers, traffic and mass celebration activities as key areas to pay attention to.
ON THE ROAD
The ministry estimated that more than 2.9 billion trips will be made around the country during the Spring Festival travel rush, with road trips reaching 2.48 billion, a 2.4-percent increase from last year. More individual drivers are also expected.
It warned people of a higher risk for traffic accidents due to the large amount of passengers and abnormal weather conditions this year, including heavy snow or rainfall forecast for many regions.
Local traffic police around the country were urged to keep a closer eye on potential traffic violations and impose harsh punishments on violators.
In east China's Fujian Province, police encouraged migrant workers who would return in groups driving motorcycles to contact Fujian police for travel tips beforehand, and if necessary, request a police escort.
The ministry is cooperating with digital mapping applications to release real-time traffic data for Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu municipalities and Guangdong Province along with 17 key freeway sections in order to help guide drivers.
