RTYC DHASA Condemns Chinese Artist’s Firework Art Stunt Display in Tibet
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 24 Sept: The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Dharamsala, today strongly condemned Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and the outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx, owned by Chinese sportswear giant Anta Sports, for their reckless and insensitive “Ascending Dragon” firework display, which was conducted along mountain ridges in Ralung Village, Shigatse, in occupied Tibet.
In a press statement issued today at the Tibetan Martyrs’ Memorial at the entrance of the Tsug-lag-Khang Temple, the RTYC denounced the “art stunt” as a blatant disregard for the fragile ecosystem of the Tibetan plateau and a violation of the rights and traditions of the local Tibetan people.
The RTYC criticised the organisers for displacing Tibetan herders and their livestock from sacred mountain areas, disrupting traditional grazing rights, and criticised the local Chinese authorities for colluding with them by allowing this “corporate vanity” without conducting a comprehensive environmental impact assessment before approving it.
“The plateau is known as the Third Pole and is one of the most climate sensitive regions in the world. Scientists warn that even minor disturbances can cause lasting harm. Yet Chinese authorities approved the fireworks without requiring a full environmental impact assessment. Officials reportedly admitted that local government approval was enough, raising questions about negligence and complacency.”
RTYC Dharamsala further stated that while Arc’teryx and Cai Guo-Qiang have issued public apologies following widespread domestic and international outcry, and while the Chinese authorities announced a thorough investigation of the incident, it declared that the Chinese authorities only intend “to cover up the real reasons”.
It further added that “Cai’s art stunt is just a textbook example of so many such incidents taking place all over Tibet.”
“The real reasons and underlying problems behind all these problems are due to the Chinese government’s undemocratic, discriminatory policies towards Tibetan people and the corruption and embezzlement practices by the local authorities in occupied Tibet,” RTYC added.
Exiled Tibetans have also expressed outrage over the reckless firework stunt, with long-time Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue describing it as “a failed attempt to announce the rise of the Chinese empire on the global stage — one that went horribly wrong.”
Tenzin Tsundue, along with Tsering Kyi, a Tibetan poet and journalist, and Jigme Ugyen, a Tibetan activist, have called on Tibetans in London and around the world to take urgent action in response. Their call to action comes ahead of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s scheduled visit to London from 26 September to 9 November 2025 for his exhibition “Gunpowder and Abstraction: 2015–2025.”
They are urging galleries, museums, and arts institutions to cancel Cai’s exhibitions, suspend acquisitions of his work, and deny platforms for art created at the expense of occupied Tibet’s fragile environment and its people.
“By shamelessly using occupied Tibet as the stage for his disgusting art, Cai Guo-Qiang disregards both its fragile ecosystem, its heritage and the dignity of its people”, the trio stated in their joint Instagram post.
