China’s fusion of fireworks and drones reignites world’s oldest firework industry

The swarm of drones soared upward carrying a bright and beautiful surprise in the small Chinese city of Liuyang. In unison, several fired off a spectacular volley of fireworks, illuminating the night sky like a meteor shower while eliciting oohs and ahs from onlookers.

The performance last month quickly went viral on social media, and many viewers commented that China’s firework displays have reached a new level of impressiveness with the help of drones.

Since 2013, growing concerns over safety and air quality have led to strict firework bans in several parts of China, putting immense pressure on the industry.

Official data shows that 16 provinces and cities across the country had completely halted firework production by 2015, resulting in more than 4,000 firework companies closing down.

Located in the central province of Hunan, Liuyang, the world’s largest producer and trading hub for fireworks, also faced a long period of economic decline until a boost from drone technology helped revive industrial production.

Liuyang’s firework sales in the first nine months of 2022 totaled 8.9 billion yuan (US$1.22 billion), marking an 11.46 per cent decrease from the same period seven years prior, according to the local industrial development centre. ST Panda, China’s only A-share listed company focused solely on fireworks, saw its revenue fall sharply to 162 million yuan in 2013, for a year-on-year decline of 36.37 per cent.