Arc’teryx, Chinese Artist Apologise After Tibet Fireworks Backlash
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSHALA 22 Sept: Canadian outdoor brand Arc’teryx, owned by Chinese company Anta and renowned Chinese pyrotechnic artist Cai Guo-Qiang issued public apologies after facing fierce backlash for staging a high altitude fireworks display at over 5,500 meters in Shigatse, occupied Tibet, with environmentalists and rights groups condemning the spectacle as reckless destruction of one of the world’s most climate sensitive ecosystems.
The 19 September promotional show, titled “Rising Dragon,” was organised by Canadian outdoor brand Arc’teryx, owned by Chinese sportswear giant Anta, in collaboration with artist Cai Guo-Qiang, famed for his pyrotechnic works including the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Fireworks erupted in sequence along a Himalayan ridgeline, creating the image of a dragon ascending into the night sky.
The event, after receiving fierce criticism from environmentalists and rights groups as well as Chinese netizens online, has forced organisers to issue an apology.
Responding to criticism, both Arc’teryx and Cai issued apologies on Chinese social media on Sunday. Arc’teryx insisted the fireworks had passed international safety standards, including tests for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and claimed steps were taken to relocate livestock, guide wildlife away, and clean up residue. Cai said if damage was confirmed, he would help with recovery efforts.
But rights groups and experts dismissed these assurances as greenwashing. The Tibet Rights Collective argued the spectacle reflected how Tibet is “treated as a stage for propaganda and corporate vanity projects rather than a land that needs urgent protection.” Environmental lawyers added that under China’s own plateau protection law, even small-scale pollution or damage to natural landscapes is prohibited.
Critics argue that the fireworks controversy is symptomatic of a recurring approach in Tibet, where spectacle and resource extraction outweigh local participation or ecological caution. Given that the plateau sustains much of Asia’s freshwater systems, environmentalists caution that its degradation carries consequences far beyond Tibet, influencing regional stability and even the global climate.
Promoted as a tribute to “art and nature,” the show immediately sparked backlash. The Tibetan Plateau, known as the “Third Pole” for its vast ice reserves and role in Asia’s water security, is one of the most climate-sensitive regions in the world. Scientists warn that even minor disturbances — noise, fire, or chemical residue — can have long-lasting effects, with recovery of degraded grasslands often impossible under Tibet’s harsh conditions.
Chinese authorities have reportedly approved the project, hastly without a full environmental impact assessment, with Gyantse county’s ecology bureau saying local government approval was sufficient because “biodegradable materials” were used. Critics called this a sign of negligence and complicity.
This exposes, once again, how Beijing exploits the Tibetan plateau for mining, development and spectacles which always happen with total disregard for Tibet’s fragile ecosystem as well as the Tibetans .
