Chinese fireworks light up night sky in foreign countries

NANCHANG, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- During the ongoing Italian Serie A football match, it is expected to see the fans cheering with torch-like fireworks in hand. Still, few know that the sticks are mainly from the mountainous county of Shangli, east China's Jiangxi Province.

Hometown to Li Tian, inventor of Chinese firecrackers, Shangli's history of making fireworks spans over 1,000 years. In 2008, the craft of making firecrackers in the county was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Making the fireworks and firecrackers industry its pillar industry, the county has 173 fireworks manufacturing enterprises and saw the total output value of the industry cluster reaching approximately 8.86 billion yuan (about 1.23 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of this year.

The fireworks products of the county have been sold to over 60 countries and regions, including the United States, Italy, France, and Indonesia.

"Workers are racing against the clock to finish the orders," said He Xiangui, general manager of Jinxin fireworks manufacturing company. "There is no off-season for our fireworks industry, and orders for the year 2024 have already been received."

He, 44, a native of Liuyang County, central China's Hunan province, has worked in the fireworks industry since 1998. "The border area of Hunan and Jiangxi is the main producing area of fireworks in China, so children who grew up here have a deep affection for fireworks," He said.

At present, his company produces various kinds of fireworks, with all products exported to many countries and regions. The sales volume last year reached 29.5 million U.S. dollars.

"In Italy, for example, there is a huge demand for fireworks. Now our company is rushing orders for Christmas," He said. So far this year, the company has sold 2 million U.S. dollars worth of products to Italy.

From a sound, a spark, to a series of echoes and dazzling light, every firecracker contains the unique ingenuity of craftsmen. Yang Ping, the technical director of the Jinxin fireworks manufacturing company, said that he has to spend several days in the workshop experimenting when there comes an order, and sometimes it requires more than a dozen attempts to achieve the perfect effect.

The company also provides customized products such as fireworks with no noise or with specific patterns to meet the personalized needs of different regions in Italy. For example, when designing torch fireworks for the Serie A football match, some football elements will be added.

Environmental protection and safety were once the knotty problems of the industry. "Traditional products often use alcohol or resin as adhesive, which will produce harmful substances after burning at high temperatures. Now we use glutinous rice flour instead, which is more environmentally friendly with a better lighting effect," said Yang.

The manual handling of chemicals is now fully mechanized through remote control of the machine, Yang added.

According to the Shangli County fireworks and firecrackers industry service center, fireworks manufacturers are equipped with real-time monitoring systems for static control, temperature and humidity, and dust concentration to prevent risks.

"In order to pursue vibrant colors, eye-catching patterns, and more stable effects, fireworks and firecracker production are being innovated through inheritance. However, the enjoyment that the audiences get when fireworks and firecrackers bloom is unchanging," said Qin Binwu, a representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Shangli fireworks.

"Fireworks and firecrackers not only showcase Chinese festival customs, but also carry the spiritual civilization," said Lu Xin, vice president of the China Fireworks and Firecrackers Association. "Nowadays, fireworks and firecrackers have upgraded from consumer goods to artworks, which provide greater space for the development of the industry."