Beijing police will step up patrols to prevent crime and maintain security during the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday that begins on Sunday.

"More police and plainclothes officers will patrol busy commercial areas, parks, temple fairs and banks to prevent thefts and robberies," a spokesman with the Beijing municipal public security bureau said Saturday.

He said police will also help maintain order in crowded areas, and at pivotal subway and railway stations to avoid stampedes.

Shopping, visiting relatives and watching folk art performances at traditional temple fairs are among the most popular ways for Beijingers to celebrate Chinese New Year.

"To ensure the safety of residents, we will also beef up security at Beijing's border by checking every vehicle that enters the capital," the spokesman said.

He said the checks were aimed at preventing suspects at large and hazardous goods -- particularly substandard fireworks -- from entering the city.

Beijing police will also be on alert for fires triggered by fireworks during the holiday, particularly Sunday night, New Year's Eve, he said.

Though only allowed to buy fireworks at licensed stores within the 5th Ring Road, some people in the city have bought louder, more powerful, fireworks from illegal dealers in the neighboring Hebei Province.

Over the past three weeks, Beijing police seized more than 12,000 cartons of such banned fireworks, closed 32 illegal stores and penalized 29 people.