A fireworks display as part of a marketing campaign in southwestern China’s Xizang Autonomous Region has drawn widespread criticism, with many voicing concerns about harm to the local ecosystem.

The multicolored fireworks, created by artist Cai Guoqiang — renowned for his 2016 “Sky Ladder” and his work for the 2008 Beijing Olympic and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games — and commissioned by outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx, were set off along a Himalayan ridge on Friday.

Videos initially posted on both the artist’s and brand’s social media accounts showed the fireworks echoing across the highlands, clouds of colored smoke lingering in the air in the aftermath. Those videos have since been taken down, and both Cai and Arc’teryx have issued apologies online.

In a Chinese statement released on microblogging platform Weibo, Arc’teryx said the project was intended to draw attention to “local mountain culture.” In an English statement released via Instagram, the brand added, “We’re addressing this directly with the local artist involved, our team in China, and will change the way we work to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The project, titled “Ascending Dragon” by Cai Guoqiang for symbolizing “auspiciousness and good fortune,” was approved by the local ecology and environment authority, according to domestic media outlet The Beijing News.

Large outdoor projects usually require additional strict environmental impact assessments involving approval from provincial or higher-level authorities, third-party testing, and public disclosure. However, one-time performances typically do not undergo the same rigorous procedure.

Significant public backlash ensued, with more than 30 topics related to the controversy trending on Weibo since Saturday.

The organizers released a statement via media outlets, stating that the display employed “biodegradable” colored powders, and that the debris was cleared afterward by “tilling the soil.” Salt licks were further used to lure pikas and other small animals out of the area.

But experts and environmental advocates remain unconvinced. “On the Tibetan plateau, foreign materials degrade very slowly because low temperatures limit microbial activity in the soil,” Li Li, a landscape ecologist and assistant professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, told Sixth Tone.

Li added that tilling would further disturb the recovery of sedges — a widespread local plant — which grow “exceptionally slow” and have a short growing season. As for the animals, Li added that pikas are unlikely to be lured away by salt licks, according to her experience in the field.

In addition to allegedly “biodegradable” colored powders, Cai’s fireworks include a mix of oxidizing agents and flammable compounds necessary for combustion, according to an art materials expert. The organizers did not specify how they intended to clean up such materials.

As of 2023, Chinese law requires that anyone who damages habitat within the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau restore the ecosystem and pay for remediation.

On Monday, domestic media reported that a team comprising provincial, municipal, and county-level authorities had been formed to investigate the incident. Staff from Xizang’s provincial ecology and environment authorities said that findings from the investigation would be released to the public.

Arc’teryx and Cai have pledged to cooperate with local authorities and third-party agencies to assess and remediate related ecological damages.

“Environmental protection and art are not at odds; they can complement each other. What matters is setting clear boundaries and strict standards,” state-run media outlet People’s Daily said in a commentary released Sunday.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: The scene of “Ascending Dragon” firework show in the Himalayas, Xizang Autonomous Region, Sept. 19, 2025. From @央视新闻 on Weibo)