The building inspectors will be examining the windows panes of Olympic Beijing this weekend following the Lunar New Year fireworks blitzkrieg that turns the capital into a proverbial shock and awe.
The loudest bangs to rattle the double-glazing at the government's Zhongnanhai compound, however, came from unexpected quarters.
One of the greatest athletes of all time, Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, lobbed a powerful firecracker over the wall straight into the heart of the Olympic pollution debate.
During a promotional tour with Olympic sponsors Adidas at Beijing Sports University, the 34-year-old marathon world-record holder strayed off the sponsorship message for several laps, much to the annoyance of his PR minders.
He briefed reporters on his greatest fears and his intentions to allay them: 'I will not run if I think the pollution will harm my health,' he repeated throughout the event.
Self-preservation - Gebrselassie suffers from a breathing condition related to his pollen allergy that forced him to drop out of last year's London Marathon - was not his only beef with China. He said he was concerned the government was paying too much attention to the Olympics while 'forgetting about the environment'.
