New Year's Knowledge Boost: How Liuyang Became the Fireworks Capital

Hi everyone, welcome to Cold-Knowledge Blind Box. This episode is a follow-up to last year's fireworks story. Around this time last year, Cold-Knowledge Blind Box also did an episode on the history of fireworks, and on the history of firecrackers and fireworks. It also explained why Lu Xun's line, that foreigners use gunpowder to make bullets to resist the enemy while China uses it to make firecrackers to worship the gods, isn't quite accurate. If you're interested, search for that episode on Nio Radio. The keywords are: Gunpowder and Fireworks: The Stories Behind the Brilliant Night Sky.

This time, we're talking about the "fireworks festival" that belongs to the Chinese people: Liuyang fireworks. We'll look at how this small town became famous as the fireworks capital, and share some tips for watching fireworks in Liuyang. Let's all feel some Chinese-style romance together this Spring Festival.

Believe it or not, for every ten bundles of fireworks fired around the world, six may have been made in Liuyang! Almost every world-class event has featured Liuyang fireworks. The fireworks used at the Sochi Winter Olympics, the Russia World Cup, the Rio Olympics and the Qatar World Cup all used Liuyang fireworks. And the final footprint firework at the Beijing Olympics was also run by a fireworks company from Liuyang.

Huh? Why didn't I know this before? Because when people get a box of fireworks, their first reaction is to light them, not to flip the package over and check who made them. Honestly, I only recently began to learn about Liuyang's reputation. It really took off after the city government announced in 2023 that it would hold regular fireworks festivals every week, and then the internet began to talk about it.

But Liuyang didn't just start working on fireworks recently. Liuyang's connection with fireworks goes back as far as the Tang Dynasty. Around 1,400 years ago, the Tang record Yi Wen Lu noted that people along both banks of the Nanchuan River in Liuyang were repeatedly being harmed by the shan xiao, a mountain spirit. The affair disturbed even Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin. He was so worried that he issued an edict across the empire seeking physicians.

Li Tian from the Dayao Mountains in Liuyang's southern countryside spent enormous effort developing firecrackers, which succeeded in driving away the evil spirits. Personally, I think the main function of firecrackers was the noise. It helped people build their courage and scared off the animals in the wild. You can search for pictures of the shan xiao yourself. They really are quite terrifying. With firecrackers, people could "defeat" the terrifying things, and the strength returned to their hearts.

Later, Emperor Taizong granted Li Tian the title "Ancestor of Firecrackers." That's where Li Tian Road in downtown Liuyang gets its name today. If you drive around Liuyang, you'll find it hard to ignore the strong presence of fireworks in this city. Fireworks Avenue, Festive Fireworks Road, Fireworks Square... even the streetlights are shaped like fireworks.

Liuyang's local geography also suits making firecrackers. It sits on the border between Hunan and Jiangxi, surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the high mountain forests hold rich natural resources. Chinese fir and bamboo are everywhere and easy to get.

The raw materials for black gunpowder, such as sulfur, red clay and saltpeter, can also all be found in this land. The people of Liuyang relied on these advantages to build up the fireworks industry.

By the Song Dynasty, the people of Liuyang had come up with a new trick: a firework that was more beautiful to watch. It wasn't as deafening as firecrackers, but when lit, it burst into a riot of colors, and the "rack fireworks" especially, which looked like a tree of silver flowers when ignited, were astonishing.

In the Yuan Dynasty, Temür, the crown prince of Kublai Khan, saw a fireworks show in Liuyang, Hunan, and praised it so highly that he took Liuyang craftsmen straight back to the capital. In the early 13th century, Liuyang fireworks spread to India along the Silk Road, then gradually to Arabia and Europe, taking their first step onto the world stage. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Liuyang fireworks industry was booming. Workshops and "explosive shops" were springing up everywhere, and during the Yongzheng reign, Liuyang fireworks were even designated as tribute goods, and their fame spread far and wide.

Today, Liuyang has firmly established itself as the "universe center of global fireworks and firecrackers." The fireworks you set off during the holidays are very likely "Made in Liuyang." Out of every ten fireworks sticks sold around the world, six are made in Liuyang. In the domestic market it's even more extreme: 80% of fireworks come from here. In 2024, Liuyang's fireworks exports reached a value of over 10 billion yuan, and big clients like the United States and Germany fight to place orders every year. From the Song Dynasty's silver flowers to today's designated supplier for the world's festive celebrations, Liuyang fireworks have not only lit up festivals around the globe, but also written a dazzling legend.

This year, as various places have relaxed their fireworks restrictions, young people who went home for the New Year each grabbed a 100-yuan "Gatling" firework to get their fix of a "cheap machine gun." If you happen to have connections in Liuyang, you'll most likely be able to get the Gatling for 30 yuan each. Not only that, you can get all kinds of fireworks. Fireworks freedom is totally within reach!

Liuyang's fireworks have quietly contributed behind the scenes for many years, but the city has always been rather low-key about it. Starting last year, though, Liuyang decided to be a bit more "high profile"! In February 2023, Liuyang decided to hold regular fireworks festivals, with a fireworks show basically every Saturday and large-scale fireworks performances on special holidays. Not only that, to let audiences see the fireworks from every angle, Liuyang specially built a "Sky Theater." What? Isn't watching fireworks just a matter of looking up at the sky? Why do you need a theater? Because the fireworks come with performances by dancers and drones, making it a full-fledged large-scale show.

Fireworks shows are destined to become Liuyang's calling card, and China's calling card too.

In Liuyang, you don't have to wait for the holidays to watch fireworks. Day to day, the scale is already over the top: tonight there's a 7-million-yuan large-scale fireworks show by the riverside, so if you want to see it, just come over and don't miss it. On weekends, tickets for the fireworks performances are as cheap as 1 yuan. If you want to see them, just go and grab a seat. Whoever gets one can sit anywhere they like.

And on festival days, everything goes all out. A hundred thousand new fireworks can go up in the sky at once. Who could resist going out to watch?

This New Year's Eve, Liuyang even streamed a fireworks show live, and short video platforms were flooded with cries of "This is too extravagant!" The next day, New Year's Day, the New Year's fireworks went on without a hitch.

A typical Liuyang person has probably long since become immune to fireworks.

After all, there are so many official fireworks festivals each year: New Year's Eve and Lunar New Year's Eve, of course, but also Valentine's Day, May 20 (520), Children's Day, Qixi, Army Day, National Day, the Winter Solstice, Little New Year's Eve... Every festival needs fireworks to add some cheer. Put simply, Liuyang people are either watching fireworks or getting ready to watch them.

If you're also tempted and getting ready to set off for Liuyang to watch fireworks, here are a few "hidden gem" viewing spots that will let you avoid wasting money and still enjoy the show in comfort!

First, the officially recommended spot is definitely the Sky Theater. It's the prime seat, directly facing the fireworks launch area, so you can watch both the fireworks and the performances. The tickets are a bit hard to get, though, and seats are assigned at random, so it's up to your luck!

If you don't get a ticket, the Lao Shiji Parking Lot right outside the Sky Theater is a good alternative. Bring your own little stool or camping chair and find a comfortable spot to sit. If you can't be bothered, you can also rent chairs there for 20 to 30 yuan each, which is quite reasonable. Better still, there are night market stalls nearby with all kinds of good food, so you won't go hungry while watching the fireworks. Isn't that thoughtful?

Besides the Lao Shiji Parking Lot, across from the Sky Theater there's a small hill called Cijin Beach. The spot is high up, and the view is fantastic! Some clever local farmers organize visitors to watch the fireworks from their orchards or hilltops, charging a 20 to 30 yuan "seat fee." It costs a little, but you get a bird's-eye view and a sense of looking down on all the mountains, so it's worth it!

If you want to capture some internet-famous shots, head to the football field near the Sky Theater. The view isn't as good, but you can see the young footballers running under the fireworks, and that picture is pretty photogenic. The place has become a local hotspot for check-ins, so if you go, get there early to save a spot!

When it comes to watching fireworks in Liuyang, you have a lot of choices. Pick the viewing spot that suits your tastes and needs.

Even better, behind every dazzling Liuyang firework is a story all its own. For example, during May Day 2023, Liuyang debuted the "Seven-Colored Auspicious Clouds" firework, which used red, green, yellow, blue, purple, orange and many other colors to symbolize good fortune and happiness. Its design focused not only on visual effects but also on representing natural elements, and there has been an upgraded version since.

The "Supreme Rider on Auspicious Clouds" firework debuted at National Day. Its design was inspired by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, from traditional Chinese mythology, especially the story of Sun Wukong. Using drone technology, the show recreated the scene of the Great Sage standing on "Seven-Colored Auspicious Clouds" for the audience, displaying a strong national-style flavor and rich cultural meaning. The dreamy effect left netizens exclaiming that Liuyang had refreshed their imagination of firework romance!

Then in December, the "Gate of Heaven" firework pushed Liuyang onto the trending searches. It's the one that looks like a UFO fleet. If you have a chance, search for the video. It's incredibly striking.

"Gate of Heaven" is the work of a company called Qingtai Fireworks, and its design concept comes from the founder's longing for his late mother. For various reasons, mother and son never had a single photo together, and that became an eternal regret in his heart. He used a circle of drones to represent the Gate of Heaven, and fireworks to represent tears falling from the sky, symbolizing a mother's and child's love that transcends life and death.

Liuyang's fireworks use vivid colors to tell many moving stories, and they light up our hearts with beauty and hope. This, truly, is the real charm of Liuyang fireworks!

What's even more wonderful is that behind every spectacular Liuyang firework, there's a unique firework story. For example, in May 2023, Liuyang debuted the "Seven-Colored Auspicious Clouds" firework for the first time. It blended red, green, yellow, blue, purple, orange and other colors to symbolize good fortune and happiness. The firework didn't just pursue visual impact, it also drew inspiration from natural elements, and later even received an upgraded version, sparking a real wave of enthusiasm.

By National Day, the "Supreme Rider on Auspicious Clouds" firework made a stunning debut. Its design was inspired by the Great Sage Sun Wukong from Chinese mythology, and the performance also combined drone technology to bring the classic scene of the Great Sage standing on "Seven-Colored Auspicious Clouds" into the night sky. It not only displayed a rich national-style charm, but also let traditional culture acquire a fresh allure through modern fireworks. The show was so beautiful that netizens were moved to exclaim: "Liuyang has refreshed our imagination of romance!"

Then in December, Liuyang's "Gate of Heaven" firework shot straight to the top of the trending searches. The performance was nicknamed the "UFO Fleet" by netizens, and one search for the video will give you a taste of how breathtaking it is. "Gate of Heaven" came from the hands of Qingtai Fireworks, and behind it is a touching story: the founder created it to commemorate his late mother, with love that crosses the boundary between life and death as its theme. He used a circle of drones to represent the "Gate of Heaven," and the fireworks represented teardrops falling from the sky, conveying longing and love. The performance not only lit up the night sky, but also lit up the softest corner in countless people's hearts.

To end, here's a saying from a Liuyang local:

"The fireworks industry is neither a setting sun industry nor a rising sun industry. It is an eternal industry. A thousand years of tradition and people's love for it will never be extinguished."

Alright, that's where today's Cold-Knowledge Blind Box ends. Did you learn more about Liuyang fireworks after listening to today's story? Did the romance and devotion of Liuyang fireworks move you?

Feel free to leave a message in the comments and share your thoughts with us! I'm your content guide, and see you next episode!

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