The Rise of Liuyang Fireworks: Innovation, Tradition, and Global Impact

There is a county-level city in China where tens of thousands of fireworks are produced every year, lighting up celebrations across the country and around the world. This city is Liuyang, Hunan Province, famously known as the “Hometown of Fireworks in China.”

here’s a saying in the industry: If you want to see the world’s fireworks, look at China; if you want to see China’s fireworks, look at Liuyang. Today, Liuyang is home to 431 fireworks manufacturing companies. The annual production value of fireworks exceeds 50 billion yuan, and exports account for about 70% of China’s total fireworks exports.

How did Liuyang become so closely tied to fireworks?

A Gift from Nature and History

The development of Liuyang’s fireworks industry is due to two key factors — ideal natural conditions and a rich historical legacy.

First, Liuyang has abundant raw materials needed for making fireworks. The area is rich in sulfur, which after purification is essential for producing black powder. Firwood charcoal, used for ignition, is another specialty product of Liuyang. Additionally, the city is rich in bamboo and timber, and even the handmade paper used to wrap fireworks can be sourced locally. From material collection to production, almost every step of the manufacturing process can be completed within Liuyang itself — a complete industrial chain that few other regions can match.

Second, Liuyang’s subtropical monsoon climate, warm and humid, creates perfect conditions for storing gunpowder. Surrounded by mountains, the city’s landscape of hills and valleys provides a natural safety barrier for fireworks production and greatly reduces the risks associated with gunpowder workshops.

As one of the world’s most famous fireworks manufacturing bases, Liuyang is not just about production — it is also the birthplace of fireworks culture.

Liuyang fireworks, a classic form of firecrackers, became prominent during the Tang and Song dynasties. According to legend, more than a thousand years ago, a man named Li Tian from the Tang Dynasty was inspired by the crackling sounds of burning bamboo and invented the first firecrackers after many experiments. Li Tian, later revered as the “Ancestor of Firecrackers,” was a native of Liuyang. By the Song Dynasty, it became common for people to wrap gunpowder in paper tubes and hemp stalks, creating “string firecrackers.”

From Li Tian’s pioneering innovation in the Tang Dynasty to the gradual development of fireworks technology in the Song Dynasty, Liuyang’s deep historical roots paved the way for its rise as today’s world-renowned Hometown of Fireworks.

Safety, Standards, Business, and Policy: All Are Essential

China’s fireworks industry is both a traditional and a niche sector, characterized by inherent risks. Fireworks production and use carry high safety risks and are subject to strict regulations, posing many challenges to industry development.

In Liuyang, safety has always been the top priority for the fireworks industry. Significant reforms have been implemented to enhance production safety.

Zhang Mingfu, Secretary-General of the Fireworks and Firecrackers Association of Liuyang, mentioned that in the 1990s, there were over 900 fireworks workshops in Liuyang. Most of them were family-run operations, producing fireworks by hand in backyard setups — often referred to as “nine out of ten families involved in fireworks.” Although this model kept costs low, it was extremely hazardous, leading to frequent accidents that endangered both workers and local residents.

By gradually phasing out small family workshops and promoting factory-based, large-scale production, Liuyang transformed its fireworks industry toward standardization and modernization. Safety facilities in factories have been greatly improved, production processes have become more regulated, and strict quality control and safety supervision systems have been established.

In September 2011, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created the Technical Committee for Fireworks and Firecrackers (ISO/TC264). The secretariat was officially approved to be set up in Hunan the following year.

“Having the secretariat based in China significantly boosted China’s voice and leadership in international fireworks standards,” said Zhu Yuping, Secretary-General of the National Fireworks and Firecrackers Standardization Committee. “It also helped reduce production costs for manufacturers by about 20% and effectively removed technical trade barriers.”

Besides ensuring safety and compliance, truly revitalizing the fireworks industry required integrating traditional fireworks with cultural tourism, creating new business models.

Thus, Liuyang pioneered the concept of the “fireworks economy.” Since February 2023, the city has hosted 94 creative fireworks shows, attracting more than 5 million visitors and generating 15 billion yuan in consumer spending. At the end of 2024, a single “Weekend Fireworks Show” attracted 190,000 spectators in one day. These nighttime artistic performances have driven growth in sectors like food, lodging, and transportation.

“We are not just selling fireworks; we are fulfilling humanity’s timeless yearning for light,” said an official from Liuyang’s cultural and tourism department. By integrating digital technology, musical performances, and traditional culture, Liuyang has turned fireworks shows into immersive night tourism experiences, pushing the city’s cultural tourism industry beyond 30 billion yuan.

A Global Fireworks Hub

Today, Liuyang is the world’s largest production and trade center for fireworks and firecrackers, with the most complete supply chain in the industry. Around 300,000 people are employed in Liuyang’s fireworks sector.

In 2024, Liuyang’s fireworks and firecrackers industry cluster was named a finalist in Hunan Province’s SME Industrial Cluster Competition, achieving a total annual output value of 50.22 billion yuan, maintaining over 50 billion yuan for two consecutive years.

In 2024 alone, Liuyang’s fireworks companies successfully handled over 1,800 domestic and international events. Now, Liuyang stands as China’s largest fireworks exporter, accounting for about 70% of the country’s fireworks exports. Its products are shipped to more than 100 countries and regions across the Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

As the global fireworks industry continues to grow, Liuyang remains at its heart, lighting up celebrations worldwide.
Among its leading companies, PyroNexa is proud to inherit Liuyang’s rich fireworks tradition while embracing innovation for the future.
We warmly welcome visitors to Liuyang to experience our craftsmanship firsthand.
PyroNexa also offers OEM and customized services, delivering high-quality fireworks tailored to your needs.
Let’s light up the world together.