Famous high-end outdoor brand “Ancestor Bird” collaborated with renowned Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang to ignite a large-scale fireworks show in the Himalayas in Tibet, which some critics argue has caused environmental damage. On September 21st, both Cai Guoqiang and “Ancestor Bird” issued public apologies. On the same day, the Tibetan authorities announced the establishment of an investigation team to verify the incident.
“Ancestor Bird” was founded around 1990 in Vancouver, Canada, and was acquired by Chinese Anta Sports in 2019.
According to reports from various mainland Chinese media outlets such as Jimo News and Xinjing News, on the 19th of September, “Ancestor Bird” collaborated with explosive artist Cai Guoqiang to ignite a large fireworks show named “Rising Dragon” at an altitude of 5500 meters in the Chaqiongongri area of the Himalayas in Tibet. The fireworks show consisted of three scenes ignited along the ridges using pyrotechnics.
“Ancestor Bird” claimed that the colored powders used in the fireworks are all biodegradable materials, and the emissions comply with environmental standards.
However, after videos of the “Rising Dragon” fireworks show surfaced, many Chinese citizens expressed concerns on social media platforms, stating that the event had caused pollution and harmed the local ecology.
Amid ongoing questioning and criticism from netizens, on September 21st, “Ancestor Bird” and Cai Guoqiang publicly apologized for their fireworks display titled “Rising Dragon” in the Himalayas. On the same day, the Lhasa City Committee and City Government in Tibet announced the formation of an investigation team to assess the situation on-site and handle follow-up matters.
Cai Guoqiang issued an apology through his official WeChat account, acknowledging the oversight and expressing deep regret for the incident. He pledged to cooperate proactively with third-party organizations and relevant departments to assess the impact on the natural ecology.
Public records show that Cai Guoqiang, born in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China in 1957, is one of the most internationally renowned contemporary artists in mainland China. He gained fame for his gunpowder explosion art and has ventured into installation art, performance art, and multimedia art.
In 1986, Cai Guoqiang moved to Japan, where in 1987, he held an exhibition titled “Art of Gunpowder” in Tokyo, marking his formal entry into the Japanese art scene. In 1994, he created an explosion art piece for the Hiroshima Asian Games, and in 1995, he relocated to New York. In 1999, his work “Venice Rent Collection Courtyard” won the Golden Lion Award at the 48th Venice Biennale.
In November 2018, Cai Guoqiang carried out the daytime fireworks explosion project “Floral Fireworks in Florence”. In 2022, he was awarded the John D. Rockefeller III Award. As of September 2024, Cai Guoqiang has realized over 650 exhibition projects, including approximately 120 solo exhibitions and 70 explosion projects.