(SINGAPORE, 10.26.2025) While Liuyang’s massive production lines and inventive designs have earned it the title of “Fireworks Capital of the World,” its reign is further solidified by its reputation as the world’s foremost organizer and judge of international pyrotechnics.
This past Saturday the sixth edition of the Liuyang Fireworks Conference (LFC) was held in its namesake city in China’s Hunan province. The event featured competitive displays from six international teams at the Liuyang Sky Theater, which were evaluated by a judging panel that included Chinese experts.
A capacity crowd of more than 9,000 people filled the theater, having journeyed from the surrounding areas and every corner of China.
Liuyang’s pursuit of a unique identity as the world’s leading fireworks hub is its greatest tourism asset, creating an unmistakable appeal for travelers seeking a distinctive cultural experience.
Under the guidance of Liuyang’s experts, the aerial art form has been reimagined for the modern era, lately via the incorporation of drone swarms and multimedia.
This innovative fusion has produced acclaimed performances like “Sky Gate” and “Heart of the Earth,” pushing pyrotechnics into new dimensions of storytelling.
On 17th October, Liuyang set its most recent record, which is now being assessed by Guiness, with a display of approximately 6,500 drones at the same time.
They formed intricate shapes such as a towering tree and a giant flower. That came as part of the opening ceremony for the 2025 Liuyang International Fireworks Festival, which comprises the LFC.
As a premier global event in the fireworks industry, the annual festival, first held in 1993 and then subsequently staged every year in September or October for a span of 3 to 9 days, transforms Liuyang into a dazzling international stage.
While the festival is a yearly highlight, the spirit of fireworks permeates Liuyang all year round, a constant thread woven into the very fabric of the city’s culture and commerce.
Apart from the festival, Liuyang’s landscape is dotted with factories and expos where the next generation of world-class fireworks is constantly conceived, tested, and perfected.
The streets are lined with fireworks shops, their signs a kaleidoscope containing the characters — “fire” (火), “flame” (烟)， and “flower” (花) — which are recombined into either of three terms: Yanhuo (fireworks), the poetic Yanhua (“fiery flowers”) or Huayan (“fluorescent fire”).
While the city’s association with fireworks is ancient, dating back roughly 1,400 years, its industrial prominence grew only as firework technology itself evolved and matured. The innovation found a perfect home in Liuyang as its surrounding mountains provide ample saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal.
Liuyang’s dominance in fireworks is underscored by the product’s annual output value exceeding 50 billion yuan (about S$9.1 billion) in 2024, representing 70% of China’s total fireworks exports. Liuyang-based companies managed over 1,800 displays globally, cementing the city’s status as the heart of the global fireworks industry.
There is another Chinese city recognized by some to possess the potential to rival Liuyang as a fireworks hub: Liling in Jiangxi province. However, lacking Liuyang’s commercial aggression and ingenuity, Liling has been content to remain in its shadow, quietly generating fireworks and firecrackers for the imaginative Liuyang.
Hailed as the ‘Oscars of the Fireworks World,’ this year’s Liuyang Fireworks Conference culminated in a gala event that came after a rigorous global selection process eliminated the less creative. The six finalist teams each presented a unique thematic performance.
Slovenia opened the competition with an immersive four-chapter narrative, which journeyed from “Soaring Dragon Wings: A Promise for the Future” to “Poetry of the Wildlands: The Eternal Emerald.”
The US team crafted a performance titled “Bridges,” using light and shadow to symbolize cultural connection, particularly between US and China, and the celebration of love.
The Japanese presentation, centered on the theme “The Fang of Light: A Beacon of Hope,” portrayed a story of using fireworks to overcome darkness.
Sweden captivated the audience by simulating the ethereal beauty of the aurora, illustrating the dynamic shift between day and night. As for Hungary, it took spectators on a musical journey along “The Silk Road,” blending traditional shell fireworks with modern effects.
Belgium delivered a grand finale that reimagined the ancient Silk Road’s spirit through a contemporary pyrotechnic lens.
This year’s festival judging panel was a multidisciplinary composition. Other than five industry experts, it featured artists, one renowned stage designer, music producers, and internet influencers, offering comprehensive assessments from technical, artistic, and communicative perspectives.
After the competition’s last embers drifted into the night, the Swedish team was crowned champion. Japan and Hungary secured the runner-up positions, while Slovenia, the US, and Belgium were honored with meritorious awards.
The core advice to fireworks enthusiasts wanting to visit Liuyang: check the festival dates, as that is when the most impressive and accessible public displays happen.
