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Zhongnan fireworks, blooming for important moments
25
2026
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02
Let the night sky in a foreign land bloom with flowers from Liuyang.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, as countless families were immersed in the joy of reunion and exchanging New Year’s greetings, a fireworks display team from Dayao Town packed up their bags and set off on a journey away from home. On February 23—the day when the Spring Festival holiday came to an end and most people began their return trips—Li Gao, the leader of this fireworks team, also returned to Liuyang, dragging his luggage behind him.
This is the sixth consecutive year that Li Gao has spent the Spring Festival away from home. For the Liuyang fireworks artisans, the Spring Festival is the highlight moment when they turn the sky into a canvas. Choosing to “go against the grain,” they send New Year greetings to people across the country with one breathtaking firework display after another.
This Spring Festival, Li Gao led his team to create a dazzling visual spectacle of light and shadow in the night sky at the Wan Ning Ri Island Fireworks and Music Carnival in Hainan, presenting the audience with a breathtaking feast for the eyes. Photo provided by the interviewee.
Stay away from small homes, bring joy to ten thousand families.
“Working in the fireworks industry means you have to arrive on-site well in advance for installation and debugging—basically, there’s no such thing as spending New Year’s Eve at home.” Li Gao, born in 1986, is a veteran fireworks display operator at Zhongnan Fireworks in Dayao Town. Ever since he started working in fireworks displays six years ago, he hasn’t spent a single New Year’s Eve dinner at home for six consecutive years.
This Spring Festival, the fireworks team split into two groups: one team headed to Hainan to handle the fireworks display for the music festival from the fourth to the sixth day of the lunar new year; the other team went to Nanjing to oversee the event on the fifth day. As the company’s fireworks director, Li Gao first led his team to Hainan to finalize the fireworks for the seaside music festival, then promptly “flew” to Nanjing to keep a close eye on the project there.
Setting off fireworks is far from as simple as just lighting them. Every step—from signing contracts with official authorities and designing the firing plan to preparing equipment and supplies and obtaining transportation permits—requires meticulous attention to detail. To meet Hainan’s closure deadline, the goods had already been shipped in advance by boat. Li Gao’s team, meanwhile, needed to set off on the first day of the lunar new year and complete on-site construction by the second day, ensuring that the fireworks display on the fourth day would run flawlessly.
“Right now, many teams in Liuyang are engaged in New Year’s Eve fireworks displays outside the city. However, there’s been a change in recent years: many places have shifted the timing of the fireworks to the fifth day of the first lunar month or to the Lantern Festival, avoiding New Year’s Eve and thus reducing security pressures,” Li Gao explained.
As for this “reverse journey,” Li Gao has his own perspective: “This isn’t just about hustling to make a living—it’s also a deep-seated passion and belief that runs through our entire industry. Although we’ve missed out on spending time with our families, we still feel quite proud to bring the beauty of Liuyang fireworks to audiences all across the country.”
Before setting off, Li Gao would pay his respects to his elder relatives and close family members early in the morning. His wife is very understanding and supportive of his work. As for the New Year’s Eve dinner, “we’ll just eat whatever’s available locally.”
Every Spring Festival, Li Gao posts a message on WeChat Moments: “Stay away from your own little home—bring joy to millions of families.” Letting fireworks bloom for this special moment isn’t just his heartfelt wish—it’s also the mission shared by countless firework artisans in Liuyang.
Not just a fireworks expert, but also a “Village Super” center-back who studies music.
In the business of setting off fireworks, challenges are everywhere. One such challenge stems from the diversity of launch sites—sometimes on land, sometimes at sea, sometimes aboard a boat, and even on floating platforms on lake surfaces.
Last New Year’s Eve, when we were celebrating in Nanjing, the organizers planned to set off fireworks right in the middle of the lake. When we arrived at the scene, Li Gao was taken aback: the wind on the lake was blowing at levels four or five, and the workers all looked at each other, none of them daring to take the boat out. But time was running out. After some fumbling around, Li Gao somehow managed—without any prior training—to steer the boat right into the heart of the lake. “There was no choice; I had to step up to the challenge. I guess I’ve got a decent knack for figuring things out,” he recalled with a smile.
Li Gao majored in music at university. In his view, music and fireworks share a natural affinity. “Both composing music and choreographing fireworks require a harmonious sense of rhythm.” This cross-disciplinary fusion makes his works even more compelling.
“In the past two years, China has relaxed its restrictions on setting off fireworks and firecrackers nationwide, and overall consumption trends have improved. Fireworks and firecrackers empower cultural and tourism industries; the awe-inspiring experience of watching them live simply cannot be replicated by online videos,” said Li Gao. “Professional fireworks displays allow for the use of larger-scale, more diverse designs, and through artistic choreography, they can deliver even more stunning visual effects.”
This year’s fireworks display in Hainan was no easy feat either. To ensure the best possible visual effect while maintaining safety, Li Gao specifically asked the organizers to increase the distance between the stage and the launch site to 120 meters. He repeatedly emphasized, “Safety always comes first.”
In addition to being a professional fireworks display specialist, Li Gao is also a passionate football fan. Last October, the Dayao Fireworks Town team traveled to Guizhou to participate in the “Village Super League” exchange event. Li Gao wore multiple hats: in the first half, he was in charge of setting off fireworks, dazzling the entire audience; in the second half, he swapped into a soccer jersey and played as a center-back, putting up a tough fight against the Brazilian team. “Although Brazil had never lost a single game, we still managed to score two goals,” he said with excitement when recalling that experience. “When the fireworks soared into the sky and burst into brilliant colors, the thunderous cheers of the spectators filled me with an overwhelming sense of pride as a member of the Liuyang fireworks community.”
On the playing field, they dare to fight and strive with all their might; in the night sky, they sprinkle romance. This Spring Festival, Li Gao and his companions have sent the warmest wishes from Liuyang to people across the country by lighting up the night sky overseas with dazzling fireworks, expressing their boundless love for a better life.
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