00:03The crackling of fireworks bring joy to many around the world.
00:07But for some in China, the nighttime illuminations are more than just a show.
00:12For hundreds of years, fireworks have formed an important part of Chinese culture.
00:18Fireworks are very important because they represent a part of our cultural heritage.
00:22They symbolise family reunions and our love for traditional Chinese culture.
00:26And nowhere in the world are they more traditional than in the city of Liu Yan.
00:31This is the birthplace of the firecracker.
00:34In 2024, pyrotechnics provided jobs for more than 300,000 people here.
00:40The city has more than 400 firework manufacturers, many hidden deep in the mountains.
00:46From manufacturing to marketing, design to distribution,
00:50explosives brand owners boast the region has the complete firework supply chain.
00:56This is the stage where the shell bodies are moved into position.
00:59We place the firework shells in the mould, load them with the firework mixture,
01:04then insert the fuse and package the finished product.
01:09Originally from China's north-east,
01:11it was Ming Yang's love of the colourful rockets that sparked his move to Liu Yan.
01:15His company is now part of the city's massive 6 billion euro industry.
01:20But in the last decade, business hasn't always been a blast.
01:24Citing environmental and safety grounds,
01:26in 2017, large areas of China began to restrict firework use.
01:30In early February, an accident in a pyrotechnics shop in Jiangsu province left eight dead.
01:36Combined with tightening government regulations,
01:38for many the changes made business more difficult.
01:42We're still partly impacted by current regulations.
01:46We hope that policies on fireworks in China and around the world will continue to relax.
01:53Despite international trade tension and US tariffs on China,
01:57much of the city's firework economy is now powered by exports.
02:01In 2025, Yoyang brands held an almost 50% share of the international market.
02:07Among them, raccoon fireworks.
02:09For company boss Zhou Hualiang,
02:11the impact of domestic policy has already been mitigated by overseas exports.
02:1790% of our products are for export.
02:19We have quality and we have the backing of our brand.
02:22Around 40-50% goes to the United States,
02:26and about 30% of our products are sold to Europe.
02:29But for many locals, there's more than just economics at play.
02:33Some, like shop owner Yao Yizhong, have grown up surrounded by gunpowder.
02:37For them, the regulations represent not just a lost business opportunity,
02:41but also a loss of culture.
02:45I still hope that some relevant authorities will keep things open where appropriate.
02:49Not for my personal business,
02:51but because the new year should still have its new year flavor.
02:57In 2026, some major cities have once again begun to relax their regulations,
03:02allowing people to set off fireworks in regulated zones.
03:06As China ushers in the year of the horse,
03:08many are excited they will now be able to experience the new year flavor of gunpowder in the air once
03:14again.
03:16Here we go.
Comments