Known as the world's fireworks hub, Liuyang, a county-level city in central China's Hunan Province, recently staged a spectacular fireworks display that seamlessly integrated the city's millennia-old firework craftsmanship with modern digital technologies, injecting fresh artistic vitality into the traditional art form.
The firework-making craft in Liuyang is a national intangible cultural heritage, yet traditional fireworks are considered low in technological content, with simple launching methods and effects.
Therefore, local artisans have dedicated themselves to innovating fireworks by exploring modern display forms such as "fireworks plus drones" and "fireworks plus multimedia art." They've made ceaseless effort at technological innovation of fireworks to improve their quality and create numerous breathtaking firework displays.
World's fireworks hub in China's Hunan stages high-tech fireworks
Global food commodity prices climbed for a second consecutive month in March, driven mainly by higher energy costs linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in report released on Friday.
The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 128.5 points in March, up 2.4 percent from February and 1.0 percent above its level a year ago.
According to the report, the FAO Vegetable Oil Index and Sugar Price Index showed the largest increases, up 5.1 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 1.5 percent from the previous month, driven primarily by higher world wheat prices, which rose 4.3 percent.
The FAO Meat Price Index rose by 1.0 percent from the previous month, and the FAO All-Rice Price Index declined by 3.0 percent in March, according to the report.
FAO stated that rising energy and fertilizer prices have been driving up agricultural input costs.
If the conflict stretches beyond 40 days, farmers will have to choose to farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero.
These choices will hit future yields and shape food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and beyond, Torero said.
Global food prices rise for 2nd consecutive month in March amid Middle East conflict: FAO
