2016 Chinese New Year Fireworks Roundup in Kuala Lumpur

Fireworks KL 2016

I’ve started buying fireworks in KL for the kids to enjoy. Kuala Lumpur doesn’t have the sheer variety of fireworks we have in Sibu but they carry a few different things we can’t get here and vice versa. One big thing about Sibu is that 3″ fireworks shells and larger are banned. So are rocket and tube launched aerial break shells. This seems to be an agreement between local cartels and the police. However, we do get a lot of large scale display fireworks cakes and Chinese firecrackers.

KL on the other hand has a relatively mediocre selection of the last two. I did manage to find some novelty fireworks for the kids and my better half though. It’s a great way to usher in the Chinese New Year! πŸ™‚

Jumping Frog Novelty Fireworks

Jumping Frog Fireworks

This is an interesting implementation of a relatively simple firework. It costs RM 5 per box and there’s 5 pieces of the “frogs” in a box, making them RM 1 each. These are made in Thailand and I’ve never seen them in my hometown before. The “jumping frogs” work via the knots in the string – the way it’s tied makes the entire firework leap around as it reaches the bends and folds.

It’s quite interesting since our fireworks mostly come from Philippines (like Judas Belt or triangle firecrackers) or China due to our closer proximity. I let the jumping frogs off for the kids to see coz these aren’t really suitable for children. You light up the fuse and throw it away and the firework will jump around.

Happy Boom

From a fireworks enthusiast perspective, how this works is that the entire firework is a long fuse. The flash powder is meant to fizz energetically instead of exploding. You can see this if you bend a Chinese firecracker before lighting it up – it’ll become a sparkler of sorts instead of going boom. The string knots around the folded fuse directs the energy of the combusting powder out the end of that section, effectively propelling it around 5 times.

These are quite cheap to make but it’s still very fascinating stuff.

Peacock Fountain Fireworks

Fireworks Fountain

I got this RM 70 fountain for the kids to see. I’ve let off a similar one called London Bridge in Sibu last year. This one isn’t as impressive since the manufacturer skimped on the gerbs (the tube like things which produces the effects) and there are only 6 inside (1 sparkling rain and 5 directional effects) vs twice the amount in the London Bridge fireworks fountain.

It’s still fun to watch though.

Fuseless Sparklers

Fuseless Sparklers

These are the newer sparklers that don’t come with a fuse. It’s shaped like a tube instead of the “coated stick” design of previous sparklers. The pen shape makes it easy to hold but one downside is that the sparkler can get very hot as the effects burn down into the tube. They cost RM 10, making each sparkler RM 2.

There are Disney designs all over the packaging and firework but I sincerely doubt they have a licensing deal. smirk

Disney Sparklers

You light the top of the sparkler and the contact makes the chemical composition burn with vivid colors. I tried one to make sure it’s safe and passed it to the kids. They seem to enjoy it as all kids do, so that’s the important thing. The thing they love the most is still the Pop Pop contact fireworks though. Haha.

Frog Fireworks

Chinese New Year reunion dinner is tonight! I’ll be letting off the bulk of my firecrackers and fireworks at the stroke of midnight and the rest tomorrow during the first day of CNY. I’ll keep everyone posted on the (much larger) Sibu fireworks roundup – there are multiple large cakes both vintage and new and I have a huge 530 shot monster this year, bigger than anything I’ve ever had. Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Gong Xi Fatt Chai! πŸ™‚

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14 thoughts on “2016 Chinese New Year Fireworks Roundup in Kuala Lumpur”

    • Yeah, fireworks in West Malaysia is harder to get! πŸ™‚

      Or maybe it’s just coz I know a lot more people in Sibu so I get the invite-only events where they showcase their new fireworks selection of the year and the Whatsapp buy groups. I know a few importers here while I know none in KL. Haha. The frogs are from Thailand, never seen them here.

      Reply
  1. Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year! May the year of the monkey bring you good health, prosperity and happiness! My late father used to buy firecrackers during CNY and once the lit Roman Candle dropped on its side and shot flaming balls into our house and we ran helter skelter to avoid being hit. What an experience!

    Reply
    • Thanks Mun! πŸ™‚

      Oh, I seldom get Roman candles nowadays but I was tempted to get some this year. They were selling 60 shot Roman candles (which measures in at a ridiculous 2 meters!). I remember playing with this as a kid, we used to hold it in our hands (not recommended, might not be safe, but we did it anyway) and shoot it at each other. Haha.

      These things can’t be bent though, it messes up with the exit trajectory and the entire thing might ignite inside forcefully so it looks like an explosion but it’s technically a mass ignition hazard. I learnt the hard way when we used it for sword fighting and then lit the bent Roman candles and they burned up in surprisingly quick fashion after the first few shots.

      Reply
    • Yeah, too bad it rained during CNY eve! πŸ™‚

      On the plus side, there was a 30 minute window for us to let off fireworks though, from 11:45 pm to 12:15 am before the downpour resumed. I let off most of my biggest fireworks (including the 530 shot one) last night coz my sister just got home. Her kids enjoyed seeing them too.

      Reply
    • Yeah, my sis and her family is based in Singapore too! πŸ™‚

      I didn’t let off my largest fireworks (530 shot, 27 kg monster) and my big mines (2″ x 25 shots) until they came back. My niece and nephew is getting older now, they used to be very afraid of fireworks but this year they came out to see the big fireworks cakes. I forgot to get novelty fireworks for them though, will make sure to stock up for next year when they come back.

      Reply
    • Thanks Mei! πŸ™‚

      Me too! I don’t think there are any fireworks that goes for more than 5 minutes though! That’s how the large format fireworks cakes are marketed in the US actually – they call it “5 Minute Display-in-a-Box”. You can fuse together multiple cakes and shells for a looooong show though, but individually the longest I’ve ever seen it go was 5 min. I got one that’s almost 5 minutes this year, a 530 shot monster fireworks cake. I think this is pushing the limits of construction although I’ve seen a slightly bigger one this year. These large cakes are hard to transport, and compounded by the fact they’re illegal, which necessitates some semblance of concealment.

      Funny story, I actually saw a box labelled “Pork Chop”. Haha! You just reminded me, I’ll post it up, it’s actually a large fireworks cake. I have no idea who they’re kidding. I suspect it’s for plausible deniability for customs officials who have been bribed though coz the inside also says Pork Chop although it’s obvious it’s a firework with the 1.3G stickers (required by international shipping law).

      Reply
  2. Hello , Happy Chinese New year and Gong Xi Fatt Chai πŸ™‚ .
    been commenting ur video sometimes but guess you didn’t see them , well it’s okay .
    Have you blast off any 4-6 inch fireworks recently ?
    Wanted to hear more professional shells that you let go recently from you πŸ™‚
    From Selangor between , quite hard to find any lubang for it . Do you ?
    I heard that you have a 530Shots cake , that’s awesome man , when are you going to letting off ? Do you mind send me some photos of the big cake ? interested with the constructions and quality πŸ™‚ .
    Nowadays rarely see any peony style shell , all glitter / crackling which is quite annoy , still prefer the old itallians cylinder shells tho πŸ™‚
    Previously i saw your post about firing 3 inch shells using a custom metal tube , isn’t that dangerous ? I often use HDPE pipe . Metal tube can be like hand grenade if low break or ground break . metal fragment will fly all over !

    Reply
    • Hello JJ! Happy CNY to you too! πŸ™‚

      OMG! I know I’ve been a bit tardy in replying past YouTube videos. My apologies. I made sure to reply every single comment in YouTube for my latest CNY videos so I’ll be sure to hit you back.

      The last time I let off 6″ shells were in 2014, there was a batch of Magnums going around (cylinder shaped instead of ball shaped) for around RM 80 per piece. I have lost my mortar launcher for 6″ though, I only have the 3″ launcher left. I never owned a 4″ launcher, for some reason that format isn’t very popular here. 3″ is the most popular, followed by 6″ and 8″ (but then all the 8″ shells are brocades, no other designs).

      I didn’t get any this year though, but there are selling it – 3″, 6″ mostly with a couple of 8″ shells going around. Yeah, I agree, the trend seems to be more towards the glitter effect, but people seem to like them more than the traditional peony design. I hear the young people nowadays complaining that peony shells are “old fashioned”. I still like them though.

      Yup, it’s very dangerous to fire 3″ shells using metal tubes but that was all we had back then:

      http://sixthseal.com/2006/02/cny-firecrackers-and-fireworks-roundup-a-sixthseal-com-chap-goh-meh-special/

      This was back in 2006 – no one owned a HDPE mortar. I’ll say it was just recently that HDPE became popular. I agree, it’ll be like shrapnel from a grenade if the break happens inside the metal tube. I have a friend who’s brother’s arm was sliced up (needed stitches that went over 1 feet long!) when the shell exploded inside the metal mortar – supposedly the mortar has been used for the whole night and it was super hot from being used constantly. Thus when he dropped the shell into the mortar, the fuse automatically and instantaneously ignited and the angle made the shell break inside the mortar, sending a huge piece of metal into his arm very deeply. Luckily it wasn’t worse though and he needed physical therapy for that. He could have easily died if the metal mortar shattered in a different way.

      Yup, I just let off the 530 shot cake last night. The video is quite long since it’s over 4+ minutes, I’m uploading it right now – it should be ready by tomorrow morning on my YouTube channel. πŸ™‚

      Thanks for commenting and thanks for watching! I’ll put up all the photos in the roundup fireworks post soon, I still have a couple I haven’t lit yet coz it’s raining now.

      Reply
  3. Hello ! Thanks for the quick reply tho , i mean finally haha πŸ™‚

    I often see beside road where construction going on and there’s lot of HDPE pipe laying around , from 3″ to 5″/6″ . It’s quite hard to get HDPE in small quantity (MOQ Required from my local hardware shop ) . When they sell those shells , are they providing you the tube also ? i guess it didn’t come with it right ? and my 3inch tube finally into pieces due to flowerpot last time . No shells , no cake for this year , black sky πŸ™ .

    I personally prefer slow break burst ( no flash powder , only MCRH ) , if got FP , it will blind some stars , MCRH is good enough for the deep bass sound , slow burst where i can enjoy the milliseconds during the break .

    I realise those locally available shells tend to have short spollette / time fuse where it exploded in the mid air without reaching proper altitude , maybe mortar they used are not properly so it can’t reach proper height . But yours are good enough πŸ™‚

    3″ are consider “hello world” in pyro xD , 4 inch above are great , which is can be more perfect break . 8″ mortar , how they get it ? Customize ? 6 inch are perfect size ! HAHA.

    That’s sorry to hear that your friends brother case , i supposed it might be some leftover liftcharge burned paper ignite the quickmatch .

    Just saw your video , it looks impressive and awesome . i love the whistling and salutes the most πŸ™‚ Hwaiting for another batch !

    Is there anyway i can personally chat with you since we have the same interest in Pyrotechnic ?Supposed that you can view my email address after i post this message , if you okay with it πŸ˜€ It’s rare to find anyone who really into fireworks every cny .

    Quick question , don’t you afraid that local authorities hunt you down for letting off any fireworks in this country ? I mean in social media ?
    Thanks man , looking forward for your email and reply πŸ™‚ See you soon , take care πŸ™‚

    Reply

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