Deadly stampede leads Chinese authorities to cancel or curtail some Lunar New Year events

Chinese traveler queue up at the main entrance to the Beijing railway station in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. Millions of Chinese are traveling to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 19 this year which marks the Year of the Sheep on the Chinese zodiac. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (The Associated Press)

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Passengers queue up at the main entrance of the Beijing railway station to catch their trains in Beijing, China Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. Millions of Chinese are traveling to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 19 this year which marks the Year of the Sheep on the Chinese zodiac. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (The Associated Press)

A woman yawns next to her child as passengers arrive at the main entrance of the Beijing railway station to catch their trains in Beijing, China Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. Millions of Chinese are traveling to their hometowns to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 19 this year which marks the Year of the Sheep on the Chinese zodiac. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (The Associated Press)

BEIJING – Officials have put the brakes on some popular Chinese New Year events in big cities in the wake of Shanghai's deadly Dec. 31 stampede.

Shanghai has canceled its lantern festival at Yu Garden that draws up to 3 million people over the seven-day holiday, which this year starts on Wednesday, the eve of the Lunar New Year.

In Beijing, crowd-drawing karaoke has been yanked from a traditional temple fair, and authorities have asked stores to notify police of any sales.

The safety measures are a response to the stampede at Shanghai's glitzy riverfront in which 36 people were crushed to death.

Some observers have complained that the measures dampen the festivity of the holiday.