Lower thirds:

00:04 Report by / Jan David
00:22 Wang Shen / LiuYang resident
01:00 Wu Ming-yang / Shuai Shuai Fireworks
02:19 Zhou Hua-liang / Racoon Fireworks
02:49 Yao Yi-zhong / Firework seller

Script:

The crackling of fireworks bring joy to many around the world…

But for some in China, the nighttime illuminations are more than just a show…

For hundreds of years, fireworks have formed an important part of Chinese culture… 

+++WANG Shen, LiuYang Resident+++
"Fireworks are very important because they represent a part of our cultural heritage. They symbolize family reunions and our love for traditional Chinese culture."

And nowhere in the world are they more traditional, than in the city of Liuyang 

This, the birthplace of the firecracker…

In 2024, pyrotechnics provided jobs for some 300,000 people here… the city has more than 400 firework manufacturers.

Many, hidden deep in the mountains…

From manufacturing to marketing… design to distribution… 

Explosives brand owners boast the region has the complete firework supply chain… 

+++WU Ming-yang, Shuai Shuai Fireworks+++
"This is the stage where the shell bodies are moved into position. We place the firework shells in the mold, load them with the firework mixture, then insert the fuse and package the finished product."

Originally from China's North-East, it was Ming-yang’s love of the colourful rockets that sparked his move to LiuYang… 

His company is now part of the city's massive 6 billion Euro industry…

But in the last decade, business hasn’t always been a blast.

Citing environmental and safety grounds, in 2017, large areas of China began to restrict firework use…

In early February an accident in a pyrotechnics shop in Jiangsu province left eight dead. 

Combined with tightening government regulations, for many, the changes made business more difficult.

 +++WU Ming-yang, Shuai Shuai Fireworks+++
"We’re still partly impacted by current regulations. We hope that policies on fireworks — in China and around the world — will continue to relax."

Despite international trade tension, and US tariffs on China… 

Much of the city’s firework economy is now powered by exports… 

In 2025, Liuyang brands held an almost 50% share of the international market…

Among them, Racoon Fireworks… 

For company boss, Zhou Hualiang, the impact of domestic policy has already been mitigated by overseas exports.

+++ZHOU Hua-liang, Racoon Fireworks+++
"90% of our products are for export. We have quality, and we have the backing of our brand. Around 40–50% goes to the United States, and about 30% of our products are sold to Europe."

For many locals, there’s more than just economics at play…

Some, like shop owner Yao Yi-Zhong have grown up surrounded by gunpowder…

For them, the regulations represent not just a lost business opportunity…

But also, a loss of culture. 

+++YAO Yi-zhong, Firework seller+++
"I still hope that some relevant authorities will keep things open where appropriate—not for my personal business, but because the New Year should still have its New Year flavour."

In 2026, some major cities have once begun to relax their regulations… allowing people to set off fireworks in regulated zones.

As China ushers in the year of the horse,
 
many are excited they will now be able to experience the "New Year Flavour" of gunpowder in the air… once again.