Shanghai sure was barking last night

Fireworks may be dangerous and all, but they sure do make for a wild, wild night. Here's hoping you all are recovering nicely and have a plan to enjoy today's unusually excellent weather. Some Chinese New Year links:

• Brad, of Shanghai Streets, has some really great fireworks photos from last night.
• Shanghai Diaries has a write-up about last night, some photos of the celebration and aftermath, and two video clips (here and here) taken right around midnight from the bottom and top of a high-rise apartment building. Worth watching.
• Reuters sums up the celebrations in Shanghai and Beijing -- where fireworks were allowed for the first time in 12 years -- and also tells you why you shouldn't cry or wash your hair today.
• As many have done before, The Times (of London) wonders why Chinese increasingly enjoy having dogs as pets, while continuing to eat man's best friend.
• Carol Wolfson of Shanghai's Second Chance Animal Aid is quoted in a Reuters story about the expected spike in the number of abandoned dogs in China, as many people throw out pups who were given as gifts to welcome the Year of the Dog. "New year is twice as bad. Pick a year and then pick the animal. Pet stores pump them full of antibiotics to make them look cute and then they die a few weeks later. Or else owners just put them out on the street when they've had enough," Wolfson said.
• Xinhua explains why you should let your dog bark as much as he or she wants to today.
• Shanghai Daily has a catch-all holiday story that includes a weather forecast -- it will get warmer before it gets colder -- and a travel forecast and operating hours and sales found at stores like Carrefour.
• Shanghai Daily offers a Year of the Dog outlook. Judging by the story, it seems the year will be wrought with dog puns.
• Energy preservation be damned -- Shanghai will stay lit up for the holidays.

First photo by Shanghai Streets. Second photo by Shanghai Diaries. Send your photos to photos(@)shanghaiist.com!