NANCHANG: During the ongoing Italian Serie A football match, it is expected to see the fans cheering with torch-like fireworks in hand. Still, few know that the sticks are mainly from the mountainous county of Shangli, east China’s Jiangxi Province.
Hometown to Li Tian, inventor of Chinese firecrackers, Shangli’s history of making fireworks spans over 1,000 years. In 2008, the craft of making firecrackers in the county was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. Making the fireworks and firecrackers industry its pillar industry, the county has 173 fireworks manufacturing enterprises and saw the total output value of the industry cluster reaching approximately 8.86 billion yuan (about 1.23 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of this year. The fireworks products of the county have been sold to over 60 countries and regions, including the United States, Italy, France, and Indonesia.
“Workers are racing against the clock to finish the orders,” said He Xiangui, general manager of Jinxin fireworks manufacturing company. “There is no off-season for our fireworks industry, and orders for the year 2024 have already been received.”
He, 44, a native of Liuyang County, central China’s Hunan province, has worked in the fireworks industry since 1998. “The border area of Hunan and Jiangxi is the main producing area of fireworks in China, so children who grew up here have a deep affection for fireworks,” He said.
At present, his company produces various kinds of fireworks, with all products exported to many countries and regions. The sales volume last year reached 29.5 million U.S. dollars. “In Italy, for example, there is a huge demand for fireworks. Now our company is rushing orders for Christmas,” He said. So far this year, the company has sold 2 million U.S. dollars worth of products to Italy. From a sound, a spark, to a series of echoes and dazzling light, every firecracker contains the unique ingenuity of craftsmen. –Agencies
