Liuyang Fireworks

Liuyang, 60 kilometres east of Changsha, is the fireworks capital of the world — producing over half of global consumer fireworks output from a county of workshops, factories, and family enterprises that have made explosives for over a thousand years. The Liuyang Fireworks Museum covers the history and craft of the industry, from Tang dynasty pine-powder squibs to modern computer-controlled shells. The workshops visible from the road and the market in the town centre sell retail fireworks legally, something Chinese cities themselves do not permit.

For visitors from countries with strict fireworks laws, the Liuyang market is a genuinely surreal experience: consumer-grade pyrotechnics are sold openly in warehouse quantities. The annual Liuyang International Fireworks Festival, held in October, draws manufacturers from around the world to compete in display shoots over the Liuyang River. Even without the festival, the town is worth a half-day from Changsha by bus (about 90 minutes) for anyone interested in the intersection of craft, chemistry, and spectacle.

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Liuyang, 60 kilometres east of Changsha, has been producing fireworks since the Tang dynasty — claims of 1,400 years of continuous production are made and roughly supportable. The county produces over half of the world's consumer fireworks. The craft involves paper-rolling, chemical mixing, and fusing techniques passed through family workshops. During the Chinese New Year and major festivals, Liuyang's own display over the Liuyang River is prepared by the town's master pyrotechnicians and is extraordinary by any standard.