Shongka* blames China’s double standard in enforcing laws for the now much-criticized ‘Rising Dragon’ fireworks publicity stunt that has created a possibly irreversible environmental mess in Tibetan Himalayas’ Gyantse county.

On September 19, 2025, the thin air high on the Tibetan Plateau was pierced by thunderous explosions lasting less than a minute (52 Seconds). A barrage of 1,050 fireworks, mounted on steel bars and ignited from boxes, lit up the sky near Gyantse County (རྒྱལ་རྩེ་གྲོང་རྡལ་།), Ralung Village (ར་ལུང་གྲོང་།), close to Ralung Monastery—the principal seat of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The nearest water source lay only 30 meters away, while glistening glaciers stood just 6 kilometers from the site. Far from the usual calm and silence of  these sacred mountains, smoke and fire burst in fleeting clouds of colour, forming the shape of a mighty dragon in a series of three massive explosions.

This was no ordinary night time fireworks show. Rising Dragon was a bold and intense daytime spectacle of explosions—an artistic hallmark of Chinese pyrotechnic artist Cai Guo-Qiang, supported by Canadian outdoor brand Arc’teryx. Set at nearly 5,500 meters above sea level, the event was presented as a fearless celebration of resilience, culture, and art on the ‘Roof of the World’. But beneath its dazzling beauty, Rising Dragon ignited a firestorm of anger—raising legal questions, ecological concerns, and deep cultural pains.

Legal Fault Lines

The Tibetan Plateau, whose Himalayan region is often called the ‘Third Pole,’ and which is home to the ‘Water Tower of Asia’, is one of Earth’s most delicate environments. Its glaciers feed great rivers, and its fragile plants and animals depend on an ecosystem that heals slowly, if at all, when harmed. China’s laws—the Grassland Law, the Wildlife Protection Law, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law, among others, are supposed to protect this sacred land. These cover fire prevention, plant preservation, and forest management. ‘Rising Dragon’ seems to have trampled on these protections.

· Fire prevention officially begins in October, but even days before, the risk of fire and pollution from explosions violates the law’s very purpose.

· Fireworks spray toxic metals and chemicals that threaten rare alpine flowers and soils that take decades to regenerate.

· Official permits are required for land use and restoration payments, but no public evidence shows these were obtained here.

Local Tibetan herders face harsh limits and surveillance when they want to collect medicinal fungi; yet a multinational company stages massive firework explosions show apparently without similar inquiry. As Chinese proverb bitterly echoed by critics suggests: 只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯 (“Officials may set fires, but commoners may not light lamps”). This glaring double standard feels like a betrayal—where ordinary people pay heavy penalties for small acts, but powerful interests receive a free pass.

Ecological Consequences

Explosions in such a fragile place leave scars far beyond their brief flashes. Chemicals settle onto thin alpine soils and meltwater streams, poisoning underground life. Grazing animals like musk deer and wild yaks—already battling difficult conditions—flee from disturbed pastures. Birds from the vibrant Himalayan monal to the rare blood pheasant abandon their nests. Predators and small creatures accustomed to quiet mountain life reel from sudden violent disruptions.

Layered atop a landscape already reeling from glacier melt and climate shifts, this human-made shock pushes the ecosystem closer to collapse. For environmentalists, ‘Rising Dragon’ was a reckless gamble—an avoidable risk in a land that cannot afford further wounds.

Cultural Reverberations

But Tibet is more than wilderness; it is a land alive with spirits. The towering peaks, including Everest’s sacred summit, are homes to protector deities. Tibetan people move softly here, speaking quietly, mindful not to disturb the fragile balance. So the roar of explosions and the sight of a fire-breathing dragon in the sky feels like more than noise—it feels like a wound to the soul and identity.

Cai Guo-Qiang said his art challenges the universe through explosions pureness, finding joy in destruction. In another interview, he said, “I don’t like fireworks, I like explosions. Because explosions are pure, they represent energy, loss of control, and a challenge to the universe. This destructive thing can be turned into art.” He even thanked animals for fleeing his blasts as if their fear were part of the performance. To many Tibetans, this looks less like art and more like arrogance—turning the suffering of living beings into spectacle, dismissing sacred traditions and life itself.

The Organizers’ Defense

Arc’teryx and Cai’s team insisted the explosions were more environmentally friendly than traditional fireworks and claimed coordination with local authorities. Yet no public proof exists of permits, ecological impact studies, or restoration plans. Critics see this as a marketing gimmick dressed in green, not true concern.

The heart of the issue is clear: art, no matter how bold, cannot be practised as a license to break laws, harm nature, and  trample on culture.

The Enforcement Gap

If laws were applied equally, the organizers would face heavy fines—for unauthorized fires, damage to protected plants, land disturbance fees, and possibly even criminal charges for environmental harm. Yet the event received official approval and support. The local Ecology and Environment Bureau declared no damage, despite visible evidence of charred earth, dug-up soil, and scattered metal debris. Although the explosion site is technically located outside the designated environmental protection zone, research works such as Ecological Risk and Regional Differentiation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Journal of Natural Resources) and Evaluation of China’s Ecological Vulnerability make it clear that the entire Tibetan Plateau is classified as both ecologically vulnerable and ecologically important due to its extreme sensitivity.

Ironically, earlier, on August 11, Gyantse County convened a meeting on ecological protection and self-inspection. The meeting studied Chinese President Xi Jinping’s address at the National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Ecological Protection of the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, and the Regulations on Inspections for Ecological and Environmental Protection. It reviewed regional inspection results, adopted a county action plan, and stressed the principle of green development. Townships, departments, and enterprises were urged to fulfill responsibilities under the ‘comprehensive, practical, and strict’ (全、实、严) standards, with strong supervision and accountability for failures. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Secretary of the County Party Committee and Acting County Head. Yet only a month later, the ‘Rising Dragon’ event, with all its destructive fury, was given the go ahead.

 This double standard frustrates Tibetans, who live under relentless restrictions, while power shields corporate culture and spectacle from any meaningful consequences.

Echoes from the Past

The scars of careless displays like this linger for decades. In 1996, near the same region in Gyantse County, a film crew detonated explosives on the Kharo La (ཁ་རོ་ལ་།) glacier, located at an altitude of 5,020 meters, during the shooting of the movie Red River Valley (红河谷). More than 30 years later, the glacier still bears the deep scars of that blast, showing no signs of recovery. For many, the ‘Rising Dragon’ event is a painful reminder that the Tibetan Plateau is a fragile land that cannot endure such manmade wounds without suffering lasting harm.

Though after pressure from International watchdog groups and media, as well as from  common Tibetan and Chinese peoples, Cai Guo-Qiang and Arc’teryx promised efforts to restore the damage, the delicate ecosystem of the site may never fully recover.

The Precious Felt Layer

The grassland soils of the Himalayas show clear layers up to about 50 cm deep. But sites near the Everest’s higher elevations have only a thin 10–20 cm layer called a felt layer—an alpine soil mat of dense roots and organic matters that cling tightly to the rocky ground below. This layer is vital: it stabilizes soil, conserves water, and stores carbon, all crucial in this harsh climate. But once damaged, the felt layer takes decades, even centuries, to recover. When it breaks, the landscape becomes vulnerable to erosion and ecological collapse. Cai has said in his remarks that he and the company would clean the mess; but in reality, even after three days of the event, all the remnants from it such as metal boxes, steel bars, holes, nets, wires and firecracker debris lie scattered everywhere.

Conclusion

The dragons that roared across the daylight sky burned brightly for mere moments—but its shadow stretches far longer.

At the roof of the world, where nature, law, and culture intertwine, ‘Rising Dragon’ reveals painful contradictions: strict rules for ordinary Tibetans, leniency for grand spectacles; promises of respect overshadowed by acts of disregard.

For Tibetans, this fire-shaped dragon symbolized inequality—not strength—highlighting how spectacle and power too often drown out reverence, balance, and the sacred.

In the end, these explosions did more than colour the sky—they exposed just how fragile Tibet truly is, and how easily its spirit can be overshadowed by forces that see this sacred land as a stage, not a home.

NOTES

Allegation of Administrative Violations Regarding the ‘Rising Dragon’ Firework Event:

A: Relevant Background and Legal Framework

1. Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China (Amended 2019, Articles 44–49): Governs forest land use and fire prevention, mandating permits, fire controls, ecological restoration, and punishment of violations including fines up to RMB 50,000 or criminal charges. 《中华人民共和国森林法》2019 年修订，第四十四至四十九条）

2. Grassland Law of the People’s Republic of China (Amended 2013, Articles 26–27, 54): Regulates grassland protection, prohibits unpermitted harmful activities like setting fires or environmental damage, and requires restoration. 《中华人民共和国草原法》（2013 年修订，第二十六、二十七条及第五十

四条）

3. Regulations on Forest Fire Prevention (State Council Order No. 541, Articles 10, 39–43) and Regulations on Grassland Fire Prevention (Order No. 542, Articles 11, 23–27): Restrict open fires and fireworks in sensitive periods (October–May) and outline administrative and criminal penalties.

《森林防火条例》（国务院令第 541 号，第十条，第三十九条至第四十三条）和《草原防火条例》（国务院令第 542 号，第十一条，第二十三条至第二十七条）

4. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law (2023, Articles 15, 27): Obligates thorough environmental impact assessments before activities that may degrade glaciers, grasslands, or endangered species with penalties for noncompliance. 《青藏高原生态保护法》（2023 年，第十五条，第

二十七条)

5. Measures for the Protection of Wild Plants in the Tibet Autonomous Region (Order No. 91, Articles 17–22): Protects endangered alpine flora and fragile habitats, empowers enforcement of fines, restoration, and criminal prosecution. 《西藏自治区野生植物保护办法》（91 号令，第十七至二十二条

B: Violation of Fire Prevention Laws and Regulations:

1. By igniting a large volume of fireworks and explosives in a high-risk ecological zone just prior to the October–May fire-prevention season, the organizers violated:

2. Forest Fire Prevention Regulations (Order No. 541, Article 10), prohibiting open flames and fire hazards outside authorized periods without permits. 《森林防火条例》（国务院令第 541 号）第十条

3. Grassland Fire Prevention Regulations (Order No. 542, Article 11), forbidding fireworks without approval in protected grasslands. 《西藏自治区野生植物保护办法》（91 号令，第十七至二十二条）

C: Unauthorized Use of Forest and Grassland Lands:

1. The failure to obtain or disclose necessary land-use permits contradicts:

2. Forest Law Articles 44–45 requiring approvals for forest land activities. 《森林防火条例》（第 541 号令，第十条）

3. Grassland Law Articles 26–27 mandating permits and restoration for land disturbance. 《草原防火条例》（第 542 号令，第十一条）

D: Damage to Fragile Alpine Ecosystems and Endangered Species:

Toxic fallout and physical disturbance caused to alpine soils and plants contravene:

1. Measures for the Protection of Wild Plants in TAR (Order No. 91, Articles 17–22). 西藏自治区野生植物保护办法（91 号令，第十七至二十二条）

2. Qinghai-Tibet Ecological Protection Law (Articles 15, 27) requiring environmental assessments and forbidding harm to vulnerable habitats. 青藏高原生态保护法（第十五条，第二十七条）

E: Failure to Conduct Required Environmental Impact Assessments and Restoration Planning:

1. No public records or studies substantiate compliance as required by Qinghai-Tibet Ecological Protection Law Article 15, and no clear ecological restoration plan has been presented following the event. 《青藏高原生态保护法》第十五条

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*  Shongka is a penname used by the author to protect his family in Tibet.