Chinese New Year!

This wasn't what I expected, what I expected was to go to someplace, like Tienanmen Square and see a lot of fireworks, and an atmosphere sort of like New Years Eve at Times Square.

So on the CNY Eve, we went to Tienanmen Square, where we had a few chinese people say was the best place to view the fireworks. They also said to be there early, around 6, or you wouldn't get a spot. We weren't to worried, so we headed there around 7:30. It was Empty and the guards were doing their job in not letting anyone on the square. hmmmm So we thought we'll go to the next place we had recommended. We walked all the way from Tienanmen, past the Forbidden City to Jingshan Park. It was closed too! WHAT?? So we went back to Tienanmen, just incase they were letting people on now.... still empty. So now where were we going to go. Oh and all this time, there were Huge fireworks going off everywhere, but where we were. We decided to go to Outback Steak house to get some western food. The manager there said to go somewhere high like in a hotel, or an overpass to see the fireworks. This was the second person to say this, so we decided to try it. We went back to our hotel where we were staying on the seventh floor, and had a wonderful veiw of fireworks. They were going off pretty well in our neighborhood and when midnight came it was brighter and louder. We had people shooting off fireworks in the street right below our window, so they would pop right in front of our window. (sorry about the orbs in the pictures... it was pretty smokey, and wrappings were flying everywhere, Jodie you would have never survived)Our view of the city was blocked by a hotel a ways in front, but we were able to visit windows in the hall ways and get a great view!



We then decided after 1/2 hour to brave going outside where we got scared a few times as fire crackers went off, or we were able to stand right by where they were lighting the big ones. it was Awsome!!We figured this was one reason they didn't want fireworks at teiananmen square, there was trash from fireworks everywhere! Most of it was gone by morning though!
Look how big this things were! This one we got to be right under as they set it off... on a sidewalk, under a tree! something that would never happen in the states! We also didn't sleep ver well, and naps were out of the question because the fireworks started on new years eve around noon, and didn't end until..... well It got quieter around 2:00 maybe, but they are still going off!

This was the next day, they were shooting them from the old hutong in front of our hotel!(there is supposed to be two video's on this post, but I can't see them when I post them on the blog, hopefully it is just a chinese censor thing so we can't see them rather than me messing up...let me know haha)