Firecrackers (Bianpao)

Firecrackers are small, explosive products designed to produce noise, usually in the form of loud bangs. They are used in Chinese customs to celebrate auspicious occasions and for entertainment. Occasions where firecrackers would be lit include religious celebrations, business ceremonies, and weddings. However, it was most used during Chinese New Year.

Different terms were used to refer to the firecracker by the Chinese in Singapore. The two most common terms Chinese would use to describe firecrackers are bianpao and baozhu.

Origins in ‘exploding bamboo’

The first firecrackers were created in China by burning green bamboo stems.¹When burned continuously, the stems eventually exploded due to the expansion of hot air trapped in the hollow parts of the bamboo. As a result, firecrackers were called baozhu, which literally means “exploding bamboo”.² A more explosive version was created after gunpowder was invented during the Tang dynasty (618–907).³This version, known as baozhang, was made with gunpowder tightly packed in paper that exploded by lighting a paper fuse.

The earliest record of firecrackers can be found in the Han dynasty text Shenyijing (Book of Gods and Strange Things). The book describes a creature living in the mountains called the shanxiao (also known as dujiaogui) that will be frightened if you “hang bamboo on fire”.⁴The shanxiao is a demon that causes distress and illness to those who encounter it. To protect yourself from the shanxiao, firecrackers were lit as the creature feared loud noises and flames.⁵

The Chinese thus believed that lighting firecrackers granted them protection as the loud noises would scare away evil spirits and demons from their homes. Later on, setting off firecrackers came to be regarded as an auspicious act reserved for happy occasions.⁶The noise was a way for people to let others know about their joy.⁷

Types of firecrackers in Singapore

During the 20^th century, Singapore would get firecrackers by importing them mainly from Hong Kong, Macau, and Hunan. In 1966, a record 145,149kg of firecrackers was imported into Singapore.⁸

There were mainly two types of firecrackers available in Singapore: small crackers that had less explosive power, which were seen as suitable for children; and crackers with higher explosive power that were “more popular”.⁹ An example of a small cracker was the Pop Pop which would make a bright, cracking sound when ignited.

Other forms of firecrackers that were considered more explosive include rocket-like firecrackers that shot fireworks into the sky, and wheel firecrackers that spun when they were lit.¹⁰ Firecrackers would also have other wrapper colours such as green and white.¹¹Brands of firecrackers available included:

• Rocket brand (火箭牌)
• Lion brand (狮子牌)
• Wealth brand (富贵牌)
• Happiness brand (快乐牌)
• Jumping Wheel brand (跳轮牌)
• Huang Chu Firecrackers (黄珠鞭炮)
• Double Happy brand
• Fancy Crackers

In 1967, a firecracker manufacturing company was set up with the aim to produce firecrackers and meet the “local need” for firecrackers.¹² The company, Forwin Fireworks Ltd, was located in Jurong and the product of a partnership between Singapore and Hong Kong businessmen. The company’s name was a play on the Cantonese phrase, fookwing, which means “prosperous fortune”.¹³

Chinese New Year

In the past, during Chinese New Year, families would set off firecrackers at the doorsteps of their homes to welcome the beginning of the new year. Some would compete with one another by thinking up creative ways to create the most lasting display of firecrackers in their neighbourhood. The most common method was to tie small packets of crackers together to form one long chain and compete to have the longest-lasting chain. Besides the firecracker chain, firecrackers would also be arranged in elaborate shapes. An example of this would be arranging firecrackers to resemble an animal from the Chinese zodiac.

Firecrackers were also a way for Chinese families or businessmen in Singapore to display their wealth during the 15^th night of the new year.¹⁴ The type and amount of firecrackers one could afford indicated the level of wealth one had.¹⁵One such firecracker resembled the huacai (festoon) and was very long.¹⁶These came in a long bunch and were labelled as “authentically China firecrackers” that took up to 30 minutes to burn. Thus, businessmen would often compete against one another to have the longest round of firecrackers set off, performing what was known as a “cracker war”. They also believed that the more firecrackers one lit, the more prosperity one would get from the new year.

‘Cracker wars’ during Chap Goh Mei

Towards the end of Chinese New Year, another occasion that would capture the height of firecracker use was the Chap Goh Meh festival. This festival falls on the 15^th night of the Chinese lunar new year and marks the appearance of the first full moon of the new year.¹⁷

During the late 1960s, Chap Goh Meh in Singapore evolved into a busy night festival instead for the Chinese to celebrate the last day of Chinese New Year. Amusement parks, cabarets, and cinemas organised activities dedicated to Chap Goh Meh. During this festival, businesses would also engage in “cracker wars” to celebrate the day. The most notable event was the cracker war between Ming Court Hotel and the Hilton in 1970. The Ming Court Hotel bought over half a million firecrackers at the cost of $500 to compete with the-then new Hilton who assembled a string of firecrackers that was 26 storeys high. For the event, Ming Court Hotel invited participants to guess how long the firecrackers would take to explode altogether.

End of the firecracker era

Despite the well-meaning use of firecrackers for celebratory purposes, they sometimes had damaging consequences. Throughout the 1900s, there were constant reports of injuries — ranging from burns to those requiring amputations — caused by the misuse of firecrackers. In 1962, a fire caused by firecrackers destroyed more than S$100,000 worth of property, rendering 150 people homeless in Singapore.

Eventually, an attack on two unarmed policemen in 1972 with firecrackers caused firecrackers to be banned for good that same year.¹⁸Under the current Dangerous Fireworks Act, any first-time offenders found guilty of importing, selling, or distributing fireworks could be jailed for up to two years with a maximum fine of S$10,000.

However, there have been occasions when the ban was relaxed. In 2004, firecrackers were set off in Chinatown during the eve of Chinese New Year in front of a crowd of 20,000 people.¹⁹With the right permits, permissions, and safety precautions in place, the spectacle marked a stunning albeit brief return of firecrackers in Singapore after a 32-year long ban.