In ancient times, the Chinese burned bamboo stems filled with gunpowder to create small explosions and scare away evil spirits. That tradition has been retained as a part of the celebrations for Spring Festival, the country's biggest annual holiday.

It's almost impossible to imagine how different the atmosphere would be without the sound of fireworks and their explosions lighting up the skies.

However, even as fireworks bring laughter and cheer every year, those scenes come at a cost, both in terms of physical injury and environmental damage.