In past years, the Lunar New Year in China was marked by the crackle of firecrackers at dawn, fireworks echoing across apartment blocks, and crowds packing open-air holiday markets.

This year, across several provinces, local governments imposed sweeping bans on fireworks and firecrackers ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, part of what officials described as safety and public-order measures.

Interviews with residents in China suggest that the tighter restrictions, combined with economic strain after the pandemic years, have left the country’s most important holiday feeling subdued.

Many residents described the silence as striking. They spoke to The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity or by surname only due to fear of reprisal.

Tightened Enforcement

In the northern city of Taiyuan, China, people described weeks of loudspeaker announcements warning against fireworks.

Zhang, a Taiyuan resident, told The Epoch Times that propaganda vehicles drove through neighborhoods broadcasting prohibitions. Although provincial authorities had signaled that fireworks might be allowed in some areas, the city of Taiyuan ultimately enforced a comprehensive ban across its six urban districts.

Residential compounds were plastered with slogans such as “Fireworks Prohibited Area—Strict Enforcement,” according to images shared by Zhang.

Police patrol cars and volunteers wearing red armbands monitored streets and major intersections, Zhang said. In some neighborhoods, drones were deployed to spot violations.

“The controls were stricter and more detailed than in previous years,” Gao, a resident from Shandong Province, told The Epoch Times. “[It felt] like both a fireworks ban and an extension of social stability enforcement onto the streets.”

He said firecrackers were heard briefly at 8 p.m. and midnight on Lunar New Year’s Eve—then silence returned.

Holiday Markets Without the Holiday Rush

The silence extended beyond the fireworks. In markets that once bustled with holiday shoppers, vendors reported an equally sharp drop in activity.

The weeks before the Lunar New Year traditionally mark the busiest period for small merchants. Seasonal new year markets fill with families shopping for goods in the holiday season.

This year, vendors described significantly declining businesses. Gao said that when he went to the markets, sellers appeared to outnumber buyers.

“Owners aren’t making business, workers aren’t making money, and no one wants to spend,” Gao said.

One fireworks vendor told The Epoch Times that before the pandemic, a single stall could generate $1,000 or more during the holiday rush. After 2020, he said, sales declined year by year. By 2024 and 2025, the business had deteriorated sharply.

This season, he said, fireworks could only be sold discreetly in the final days before the new year, with police enforcement. Confiscation was common.

He alleged that confiscated fireworks were sometimes resold through unofficial channels and described the situation as deeply corrupt.

The Epoch Times cannot independently verify the claim.

This year, he invested nearly $3,000 in inventory, including fireworks and small decorative items. Days before the Lunar New Year, he had sold only a fraction of that.

Beyond the business downturn, some residents in China pointed to a more somber explanation for the muted atmosphere—widespread deaths during the pandemic years.

In Chinese tradition, during the Lunar New Year, people would put up new red couplets around the doorframe for good fortune. However, families in mourning do not post red couplets on their doors, sometimes for up to three years.

One individual familiar with the couplets trade told The Epoch Times that couplets became harder to sell not only because of reduced spending but also because many households were observing mourning customs. He said that sales data from longtime vendors suggest a substantial decline in the number of households participating in traditional decorations.

Residents in China have previously described overcrowded crematoriums and empty neighborhoods due to the pandemic deaths.

Li Yuanming contributed to this report.