It’s the firecrackers de jour for these two years (at least for experiential or cost conscious buyers) due to the fact that it’s very cheap. It’s the exact opposite of the 39,000 head firecrackers which cost upwards of RM 150 – this is a short, semi-traditional string of firecrackers that everyone can afford.
These are RM 10 each and it’s marketed as waterproof firecrackers. That’s due to the *wax red paper* wrapped around the entire length of the string of firecrackers, protecting it from the elements.
It’s perfect for lion dance performances since it can still be lit if it rains and it’s not as explosive as the 39,000 head firecrackers, which have been known to injure performers.
These waterproof firecrackers are 8 feet long and as a bonus, the red wax paper also tears up as the firecrackers go off, adding to the festive and auspicious red paper mess. It’s unusual to have firecrackers being sold by length (8 ft) instead of “number of firecrackers” format e.g. 3,000 firecrackers, 39,000 firecrackers etc.
I noticed that there are a lot of unexploded ordnance when compared to other firecrackers. There’s bound to be some but this is a bit excessive. I took a video and thought that this happened coz I forgot to remove the cardboard backing, but that’s not the case.
I somehow lost the long Visco fuse (long green fuse) and had to light this with the fast fuse but it turned out alright. The wax paper doesn’t tear consistently when the firecrackers explode – this is the fourth string that I’ve let off and all turned out this way – but you really can’t complain for the price.
These “waterproof firecrackers” also lasts a very long time (almost 30 seconds) since it burns slower, despite being only 8 feet long, in contrast to the fast burning 39,000 head firecrackers – it’s a selling point for some people, but not for me. I like my firecrackers to go fast and furious!
However, you really can’t argue with the RM 10 price tag and it also has a small explosive finish with an auspicious couplet bearing banner inside (which is unusual at this price point) and I let it off just before it rained twice – it really can be lit even in mild showers! 
Here’s what my hometown looked like during CNY. It’s the stroke of midnight during Chinese New Year 2014. The symphony of noise and light has been going on for the entire night…and now reached it’s *peak*!
Short Mention:
Warning: Pyrotechnics galore! 😀
I always have problems videoing the CNY fireworks coz it’s very hard to get the auto-focus done right through all the sudden flashes of light and the blinding clouds of smoke. I used my Sony Xperia Z1 to do it and I was extremely pleased by the results! It does a wonderful job at focusing quickly when I pan the smartphone around and the audio is awesome too!
I couldn’t believe my Xperia Z1 records better fireworks videos than most of the cameras I’ve had in the past. The video is a bit long but I provided two (2) coz I know there are people who love seeing the annual fireworks show the people here put out. It’s absolutely superb this year, you’ll see everything from 388-shot fireworks cakes to 12” aerial fireworks shells with new breaks!
P/S – Remember to switch to Full 1080 HD when you record the videos – that’s how I recorded it. 🙂
Gosh!!! Looks like there’s nothing to stop everybody now, never mind if it rains…the show must go on. Lucky thing, we have fine weather this year though…not like in previous years.
Haha! Yeah, true that, the fireworks will go off even when it rains! 🙂
I doubt even heavy rain can stop it, with the wraparound wax paper.
Yup, I remember worrying about whether I can let off my fireworks last year due to the weather, no such worries this year, it’s all good!
Omg. The price… My sis will go crazy at it. Must let her know. It is so expensive over here. I think 4 times at least. Hapy cny to you!!
These are the cheapest firecrackers around coz it’s short at 8 feet! 🙂
They make long ones too, marketed at the more traditional “number of firecrackers” – they have a 18,000 one (RM 80-100) and a 39,000 one (RM 120 – RM 155, although I get it for RM 80 since I buy bulk).
The Shun Lee Hung 3,000 firecrackers are the most standard and they retail from RM 15 – RM 25):
http://sixthseal.com/2012/01/how-to-make-firecrackers-exciting/
Yeah, I think KL prices are way too expensive, I bought some fireworks in KL too and I was paying 3 times more in KL that what I paid in Sibu!
I think 4x for firecrackers sounds about right since they always want to profit on these before CNY!
Happy CNY to you and yours! 😀
In china it only cost rmb10.
It is double the cost. I love to play firecracker….
Hehe hopeful with all the loud bang will chase away those bad luck away…
Huatttt ahhhh
Wow! I would have thought it would be much cheaper over there! 🙂
Paying double the price of China sounds good to me since they have to import it all the way over here, and there would be transportation charges in addition to clearing customs, storage etc which all incurs cost!
They were selling these for RM 10 last year and this year it was raised to RM 15 but I got the old price since I was a regular.
Happy CNY to you and your family!
cool videos, i watched them on my laptop at home, and the colours and sounds transformed my living room into a more festive place for a few minutes. the sony captured the explosiveness of the scene very nicely! that’s a major-impressive riot of firework’s in sibu’s skyline (and the noise feels like a war zone!), and i also liked your background commentary 😀
Yeah, it’s quite amazing how Sibu transforms into a war zone (as you aptly called it) during CNY! 🙂
Haha! Thanks mate! I’m glad it gave you a bit of CNY our style. I recorded it in Full 1080 HD so people can click on the HD option in YouTube and view it as it was originally filmed.
That’s what I love about the Xperia Z1! It captures the fast strobing lights well and the audio is amazing too – loud and clear, hardly something people expect from a smartphone. It’s a great gadget for taking photos *and* videos and I’m using it exclusively to do that now.
omg! YOU LUCKY DOG. haha! how’d you manage to get a seat where your back faces the wall? do you get to pick your own seat at work? guess who i’m sat next to? MY BOSS.
>___< lovely isn't it.
no firecrackers for me this cny.. feels like with each year, more of the "traditions" fade into thin air.. )))): so sad.
Well, I *was* the boss in my second job after uni! 🙂
Haha! I was the CTO and had a 35% stake in the company, with a paid up capital of RM 1,000,000 so that’s why I could do things like choose my own seats. I was there for over 4 years before I left and cashed out. It was fun growing the business over to have a KL office (we were in Kuching then) and do government projects with both energy providers in Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia!
I was in the papers too which I thought was funny coz I was this skinny little guy, showing the mayor how the city’s surveillance system works before I had the sense to cover up my tattoos.
It’s the luck of the draw sometimes too – the 5th job I had, I just got seated in the corner with my back to the wall coz that’s the only seat empty and I was filling in for the guy who had previously sat in it. It was a mid-senior position, so I guess that was the perks that came with it.
I don’t mind sitting next to my boss though, I’ve had great ones throughout the years, who don’t mind things as long as work gets done and done well. One of my ex-bosses turned out to be a good friend till now.
Alas, that ain’t good – traditions is what holds CNY together. However, I do feel the same as you, each generation lets go of small traditions each time until some people decide traveling would be a better option. I think that’s great too – I’ll love to go to China to see how they do it! 😀
HB, Happy New Year.
My cousin in Honolulu own a grocery store got arrested twice for selling too many too much fireworks.
The thing was he not surpose to store in this warehouse which might cause fire and and other things too.
His fireworks goods one year was stolen also by someone who found out about it. Now he never again sell fireworks just food items.
Happy Chinese New Year Vickie! 🙂
Wow! I thought consumer fireworks is legal in the US? It’s legal in most countries e.g. most of Europe including UK, Australia and New Zealand, but you can only let them off in public parks and designated areas and only 1.4G consumer fireworks are allowed.
It’s only on designated times though e.g. sold 1 week before Guy Fawkes Day and you can only let if off on that night itself.
I think it might be the fire hazard thing coz I know the US has a great pyrotechnics show called Burning Man which I’ve always wanted to go to!
Or maybe it’s a different state law. Sorry to hear about your cousin!
I always find that lighting up the firecrackers is difficult, due to the fast burning and short ‘tail’ or fuse at the end. I tried to tied some paper to it so that I can run away faster before it lits up..lol
I don’t really mind coz I used to do all sorts of crazy stuff with fireworks in the past! 🙂
I don’t do that anymore but lighting fuses are okay with me – the green fuse (called a Visco fuse) that they attached to the bottom of the firecrackers fell off so I just lit it using the fast fuse. It’s usually okay, but with the bigger 39,000 ones eye protection may be a good idea.
I never thought about that in the past – eye protection that is, but growing older, you get more safety concerns. I used to be really reckless with fireworks, dropping 3″ shells into the tube *after* lighting it and holding on to the metal tube while it launches. Imagine if it didn’t sit properly or had a bad fuse.
So many fire crackers and fireworks!~
Yeah, it’s amazing how Chinese New Year is like in Sibu! 🙂
I love filming the fireworks and firecrackers that go off at midnight during CNY eve – it lasts several hours and culminates at midnight! It certainly beats most fireworks shows I’ve seen except for professional competitions and this is all done by citizens by their own accord! It’s the best show in Malaysia!
I sometimes don’t get good results with filming since it requires fast auto-focus and the sensor must be sensitive enough to capture light but not be so sensitive as to be blinded by the intensity of the light. The Xperia Z1 is perfect for this, and I’m surprised the audio turned out so amazing too! 😀
First time hearing water proof firecrackers. Yea…i remember when i was small…a few days before the celebration, the uncle will buy firecrackers and my granny will put them under the sun to make sure it’s dry. Not auspicious if halfway the firecrackers stopped
It’s marketed as “waterproof firecrackers” coz of the red wax paper that wraps around the *entire* string of firecrackers. 🙂
You can’t get it wet, you can pour a bottle of water on top of it and it’ll still go off (since the fuse is protected and there’s a water-resistant Visco fuse – the green one – as the initial primer).
Yeah, that’s what we do too! You have to put it under the sun to bake it for a while – get rid of all moisture from transportation and storage and it actually burns better.
We used to string them together too, but it can be tricky business, they might not “sambung” e.g. might stop halfway if not done right. There can also be a “pause” if you use Visco fuse (since it burns slower) instead of the braids to tie multiple strings together but nowadays they sell *really long* firecrackers that goes up to 6 storeys high and needs to be hung from a CRANE!
It’s really expensive though, those specialty ones.