'Rising Dragon' fireworks in Himalayas spark environmental backlash, authorities launch probe

Arc'teryx, which became part of a consortium led by Chinese sportswear giant Anta Sports in 2019, apologised on both Weibo and Instagram

A dazzling firework display in the foothills of the Himalayas has sparked a fierce environmental outcry, prompting a local government probe in China and compelling outdoor apparel brand Arc'teryx to issue a public apology.

A CNN report says that the Canadian-founded, Chinese-owned company collaborated with artist Cai Guo-Qiang to stage the "Rising Dragon" event on Friday at a Tibetan plateau near Shigatse, roughly 5,500 meters (18,000 feet) above sea level. Shigatse is the second-largest city in China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

An official video, now removed, captured a vibrant array of fireworks tracing a serpentine path along a mountain peak. Cai, renowned for orchestrating the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games' fireworks, described the display as a dragon winding across the sky.

However, social media users in China quickly criticised the stunt, calling it reckless and environmentally insensitive in such a fragile, remote ecosystem, the report added.

By Sunday, local authorities announced an investigation, drawing attention from over 92 million people on Weibo in just two days.

"The Shigatse party committee and government are taking this matter seriously and have dispatched an investigative team to the site immediately," a local statement on WeChat said. Officials added that the matter would be handled "in accordance with law and regulations."

Arc'teryx, which became part of a consortium led by Chinese sportswear giant Anta Sports in 2019, apologised on both Weibo and Instagram on Monday.

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"This event contradicts our commitment to outdoor spaces, our values, and the community we serve. We are deeply disappointed this occurred and offer a full apology," the company said on Instagram.

On Weibo, the brand added it would engage a third-party environmental group to assess the impact transparently and take corrective action if needed, the CNN report further said.

Cai also issued an apology on Chinese social media, acknowledging "several areas that failed to be properly considered."

"My studio and I take this seriously and humbly accept all critiques regarding our artistic creation on the snowy plateau," he wrote on Douyin, China's TikTok. He pledged full cooperation with authorities' ecological assessment and vowed to adopt stricter measures in future projects.

Despite the apologies, Chinese state media maintained a critical stance. The Global Times highlighted a perceived inconsistency between Arc'teryx's Instagram and Weibo statements, noting that Instagram referenced only coordination with the Chinese team, without mentioning a third-party environmental assessment.

"Some users questioned the sincerity of Arc'teryx's apology… suggesting the statement about working with the China team could be seen as shifting responsibility," the Global Times wrote.

Weibo users called for stronger accountability, with some demanding that officials who approved the event face legal consequences. Others pointed to the irony: "Art for the earth should honor nature and living beings," one post, which received thousands of likes, stated.