Liuyang fireworks shine globally with innovation, tradition

Liuyang, the fireworks capital of China, is lighting up the global market with a mix of rich heritage, cutting-edge technology, and breathtaking displays.

Located in central China's Hunan Province, Liuyang has long been at the heart of the global fireworks industry. Known as the "Hometown of Chinese Fireworks," the city is home to 431 production companies, generating an annual output value exceeding 50 billion yuan (about 6.9 billion U.S. dollars).

Liuyang's fireworks account for 70 percent of China's total exports, securing its dominant position in the global market.

The town of Dayao, part of Liuyang, holds both historical and industrial importance, as the birthplace of firecrackers more than 1,400 years ago. The region's rich sulfur mines and yellow clay soil provide ideal conditions for fireworks production. Today, Dayao has become the world's largest hub for fireworks and related materials, with products reaching all corners of the globe.

Fireworks production in the region has been passed down through generations.

Zhao Kai, general manager of Liuyang Star-River Fireworks Trading Co., Ltd., is one example, having taken over the business from his father.

Zhao recently reported an increase in international orders, reflecting growing demand from overseas markets.

"I just had an order placing meeting with the German customer this morning. They discussed the last sales season in 2024 with us. And their overall sales were with an increase of 10 percent over the previous season. The customers gave us great confidence," he said.

According to data from Changsha Customs, Hunan Province exported 4.84 billion yuan (about 662 million U.S. dollars) worth of fireworks in 2024, marking a 10.1 percent year-on-year increase.

The United States remains the largest market, while countries in Southeast Asia and South America are seeing substantial growth in imports.

Exports to Europe reached 1.85 billion yuan (about 255 million U.S. dollars), with Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom showing significant increases in their fireworks imports.

China has also led the way in standardizing fireworks safety. In 2017, the country introduced nine ISO international standards to ensure environmental safety and minimize the impact of fireworks.

"This is for us to measure whether the discharged fireworks can have impacts on our environment and the degree of influence. We have this our self-developed system to do that," said Zhu Yuping, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Fireworks and Firecrackers Product Safety and Quality Inspection Center.

Liuyang's innovation extends beyond production to live fireworks shows. Since 2023, the city has hosted a weekly fireworks festival featuring elaborate, creative displays.

One standout performance uses drone-launched fireworks, a trend pioneered by Huang Weide, founder of Kingtime Fireworks Group Co., Ltd.

"The utilization of drones with fireworks began five years ago. The fireworks in the past were launched from the ground into the sky, and this time I use drones to launch fireworks from the sky down. My team also used AI to animate a photo of my mother. It feels like she was coming down from the gates of the sky. At that moment, I was so moved that I shed tears," Huang said.

Drone-based fireworks displays have been made possible by cold, urban-friendly fireworks that generate light through chemical reactions rather than explosions.

"Drones carrying fireworks have now become a mainstream method for our firework displays. The fireworks carried by drones are not very high-temperature ones. We are still improving the payload capacity of drones and also the arrangement of more drones," said Yi Xin, brand director of Hunan Fire-show Troupe Co., Ltd.

Liuyang fireworks shine globally with innovation, tradition

Multiple civic groups in the Republic of Korea (ROK) gathered on Wednesday in Seoul to call on the Japanese government to face up to its history and offer a sincere apology and remorse.

The civic groups, composed of student representatives and social activists from various organizations, including those advocating for the rights of "comfort women," rallied in front of the embassy of Japan.

Demonstrators said recent moves by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deny Japan's history of aggression and are a sign of the resurgence of militarism.

Since Takaichi took office as prime minister, Japan has embarked on an accelerated path toward military buildup, steadily departing from its exclusively defense-oriented policy.

Recent risky steps -- sharply increasing the defense budget, restructuring the Self-Defense Forces to enhance combat capabilities, deploying long-range missiles with so-called "counterstrike capabilities," as well as relentless efforts to revise the Constitution, the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and the three security documents -- all point to a deliberate departure from Japan's postwar pacifist principles and an advance toward remilitarization.

Takaichi, on April 21, sent a ritual "masakaki" tree offering and made a monetary offering to the controversial shrine, which honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II alongside the war dead.

"The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A Japanese war criminals from World War II (WWII), stands as a symbol of Japanese militarism," said Kim Tae Jung, a civic group member.

"Presenting offerings at a shrine that honors war criminals demonstrates that the Japanese government has shown no remorse for its war crimes and the move is a ruthless trampling on the feelings of war victims," said Han Kyung Hee, another civic group member.

Demonstrators said the international community should be vigilant against Japan as the country seeks to revert to militarism.

"The international community should make it clear that Japanese militarism is threatening stability in Northeast Asia. Only by voicing support for peace rather than strengthening military cooperation can Japan’s ambition of rearmament be contained, and the war be prevented," said Kim.

"Japan has shown no remorse and has not adopted a responsible attitude. On the contrary, it has repeatedly blocked the erection of statues of young women who symbolize 'comfort women.' A country like this now seeks to regain the right to wage war, which undoubtedly poses a grave threat to peace in Northeast Asia," said Han.

ROK civic groups call on Japanese government to face up to history