With fewer fireworks during the Spring Festival holiday, Beijing's PM2.5 density went down 16 percent on last year, local authorities said on February 15.

According to the municipal environmental protection bureau, Beijing had three days of "excellent" or "good" air quality between February 7 and 13.

The average PM2.5 density was 98 micrograms per cubic meter, also 16 percent down.

"The improvement should be first attributed to fewer fireworks," said a spokesperson with the bureau.

Setting off fireworks during Lunar New Year is a tradition in China, with the light and sound claimed to scare away evil spirits, but can lead to spikes in air pollution readings.

This year, sales of fireworks in Beijing dropped by around a quarter. The number of licensed retail outlets was also down by 25 percent.

Most of the holiday was cold and windy and a large number of people and vehicles left the capital for their hometowns.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2016)