Cai Guoqiang stages a fireworks display in the Himalayas of Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on September 20, 2025. Photo: from web

Internationally renowned Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang staged a fireworks display in the Himalayas of Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on Friday evening, raising concerns about violating fundamental principles of ecological conservation. Although the organizers had noted in advance that the fireworks were eco-friendly and would be cleaned up afterward, the performance nevertheless sparked controversy. 

Many netizens criticized the event as absurd, questioning the decision to set off explosions in such an ecologically fragile region as the Himalayas. In response to the backlash, the brand behind the show has since deleted related videos online.

At dusk on Friday, Cai began the fireworks performance in Gyangze, an area located at an altitude of about 5,500 meters in the Himalayas. Footage from the site showed Cai igniting three sequences of fireworks along the mountain ridge through gunpowder blasts, creating a dynamic “rising dragon” scene, symbolizing the auspiciousness and vitality embodied in Eastern dragon culture.

Organizers of the event had stated beforehand that all fireworks used biodegradable, eco-friendly materials, herders’ livestock would be relocated and small animals guided away with salt bricks prior to the display, and that residue would be cleaned up and vegetation restored afterward to avoid ecological risks. 

Some netizens argued that the so-called eco-friendly materials were only “less polluting” compared with conventional products, but by no means zero-impact. Others pointed out that the plateau’s ecosystem is extremely fragile, “even a tire mark can take decades or centuries to heal, let alone such large-scale smoke and noise pollution,” according to media reports.

Critics also denounced the performance as an act of cultural arrogance, noting that local traditions include reverence for mountain deities and taboos against loud explosions.

Some further warned that the massive blasts could generate sound waves posing potential risks to glaciers already vulnerable due to climate change, possibly destabilizing ice masses, while also severely disturbing plateau wildlife, which violates basic principles of ecological protection.

In the wake of the mounting backlash, Cai and Arc’teryx, the brand that sponsored the fireworks show, have deleted related videos, though they are yet to issue an official response.

An official from the Ecology and Environment Bureau of a branch of the Gyangze County told media on Saturday that the event had been filed with the bureau and all procedures were compliant. “Since environmentally friendly materials were used for the fireworks, an environmental assessment was not required, and approval from township, village, and county-level governments was sufficient. The government had held multiple meetings in advance to study the site selection, assess what wildlife might be nearby, and eventually chose a location outside ecological protection zones with no residents in the vicinity. So far, there has been no observed damage to the local environment, and follow-up monitoring will continue,” the official said, bjnews.com reported.

An Arc’teryx customer service staff later on Saturday responded to media that the event was carried out under scientific assessment and strict guidance, noting that the artistic creation used environmentally friendly materials. The colored powders selected were biodegradable, and the emissions met environmental standards, according to Jimu News.

Responding to why the well-known outdoor brand chose Himalayas as the site for a fireworks display, the staff noteed that the brand’s original intention was “to pay tribute to nature, culture, and the environment.”

According to public records, Cai, born on December 8, 1957, in Quanzhou, East China’s Fujian Province, is a fireworks master and contemporary artist, and one of the most internationally renowned Chinese contemporary artists. He rose to fame with his gunpowder explosion works and has explored installation art, performance art and multimedia art. His representative works include Venice Rent Collection Courtyard, “Sky Ladder,” and the giant “footprints” shown at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.