(ECNS) -- Anta brand Arc'teryx and Chinese visual artist Cai Guoqiang on Friday ignited a large-scale firework show titled "Ascending Dragon" in the Himalayas, Xizang Autonomous Region. The event drew online criticism for allegedly showing disregard for the local environment.
Cai ignited three sets of fireworks at an altitude of about 5,500 meters in Gyalze county in Xizang's second-largest city of Shigatse, as part of his art project, Ascending Dragon.
The show, designed to symbolize vitality and auspiciousness in Chinese culture, used chemical elements the organizers claimed were biodegradable and verified by international tests during past events.
However, the event triggered a heated debate online, with critics questioning whether the fireworks disturbed wildlife, damaged vegetation, or polluted the high-altitude ecosystem.
Shigatse Municipal Internet Information Office on Sunday said local authorities had launched an investigation.
Gu Lei, an associate professor at the School of Life Sciences of Capital Normal University, said the mountain's vegetation is mainly alpine meadow, meaning a thin layer of plants on the surface, possibly less than 20 centimeters thick. If damaged, natural restoration may take decades.
Li Juan, author of To the Wonder, commented that we should be wary of all art that deliberately pursues spectacle and scale.
Anta stock fell 4.60% to HK$92.35 (about $11.89) per share, wiping out HK$12.5 billion in market value.
Both Cai's studio and Arc'teryx issued public apologies on Sunday.
(By Gong Weiwei)
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