Cai Guo-Qiang Sparks Controversy with Himalayan Fireworks
Both the Chinese fireworks artist and Arc’teryx, the sponsoring outdoor brand, have apologised, while the environmental investigation is only just getting underway. Save to My Ocula
New York-based Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang has ignited controversy with his latest performance, The Ascending Dragon, staged at 4,500 metres in Shigatse, deep in the Tibetan Himalayas. Intended as a tribute to nature, the 52-second spectacle has instead sparked debate over environmental harm and cultural sensitivity.
The show featured four sequences—from base to summit, summit to creek, and beside a creek—using 1,050 fireworks mounted on steel rods or fired from boxes. Originally planned for Mount Fuji, the project was relocated to the ecologically fragile Himalayas after failing to secure permission in Japan.
Online criticism was swift. Observers questioned both the environmental risks of a large-scale pyrotechnic display and the cultural implications of performing it on Tibetan land. Tibetan writer Tsering Woeser condemned Cai’s actions as ‘cultural colonisation’, citing his renaming of Mount Chaqiong Gangri as ‘Hot Dragon’ and his false claim that the ‘dragon of colours represents Tibetan culture’—an outsider narrative masquerading as homage.
Authorities responded quickly. The Shigatse Communist Party Committee announced an investigation, underscoring the seriousness of the incident. Arc’teryx, the outdoor brand that sponsored the event and that has been under Chinese ownership since 2019, issued a public apology on Instagram. Cai also addressed the backlash, writing: ‘If any environmental impact is confirmed, we will spare no effort to implement remedial and restoration measures.’
The site, at 4,500 metres, is dominated by alpine meadows. While not formally protected, it sits just 30 metres from a water source and six kilometres from the nearest glacier. At this altitude, the lack of microbes means even biodegradable materials are unlikely to decompose, raising further ecological concerns. —[O]
Main image: Cai Guo-Qiang's The Ascending Dragon (2025) in Shigatse, Tibet.
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