In order to escape the raucous New Year's celebration, a 75-year-old man from Panjin was determined to fly over 2,000 kilometers away from his home, the Liaoshen Evening News reported Monday.

The board says do not explode fireworks at midnight.

Li Haozhou, who has a troubled heart and high blood pressure, said he was hit by heart disease last year when huge firecrackers exploded near his apartment during the Chinese New Year, nearly costing him his life.

In an attempt to prevent the potentially dangerous situation, Li posted a note on his window this year to warn his neighbors not to explode any firecrackers, but no one paid it any attention, the report said.

"The blasts could go on for two hours," Li told the paper. "I cannot bear that. I'd rather go to Guangzhou where I heard all firecrackers are banned."

Wang Haijin, one of Li's neighbors, said it is the most fun to set off firecrackers to celebrate the New Year.

"The Chinese tradition believes that firecrackers will drive away evil and misfortune," said a neighbor named Wang Jun. "I will not give it up just because of Li's warning."

Li and his wife left for Guangzhou at the first noise of the firecrackers in the neighborhood.

"It kills me," Li told the paper.