And it is exactly this that the organizers of the 2012 event hoped to emulate, with "a piece of theater on the water" -- complete with music, fireworks and special effects -- not to mention 20, 000 people on a 7-mile-long flotilla made up of 1, 000 boats.

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From the looks of things, and based on the previous work, it will involve massive amounts of colored paint, and a whole lot of special fireworks that will be used to presumably splatter the paint all over the building, all the while accompanied by some contemplative music.

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Binhai regularly puts on Hollywood-style shows, complete with special effects, fireworks and actors dressed as renegade pirates.

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The many and varied rites associated with the fortnight-long holiday may sound innocent enough: gift-giving, trick-or-treating, fireworks, open-air picnics, the eating of special foods and the display of symbols of abundance such as goldfish, coloured eggs, potted plants and shiny coins.

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Get to know the map, decide what your must-see attractions are and find out about special events such as shows, character parades, fireworks and laser displays.

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The weeklong festivities include fireworks and concerts and showcase all manner of dazzling displays, from a special shape rodeo to lighted nighttime " balloon glows, " but the climax is the handful of spectacular mass ascensions in which all participants take to the sky in two waves.

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In Beijing, of course, fireworks are really banned, as they are in Hong Kong, but Shanghai seems to have a special dispensation for the New Year.

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