Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 25: Despite apologies and pledges of environmental responsibility, Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and Canadian outdoor brand Arc’teryx are facing renewed backlash after their fireworks spectacle in Tibet left behind toxic debris that is now being cleaned up by local Tibetan residents.
The spectacle, titled Rising Dragon, was staged last Friday on a mountain ridge in Relong Township, Gyangze County, Shigatse. Organisers had claimed in advance that the fireworks would be “eco-friendly” and followed by professional cleanup. However, new images from Tibet shows local Tibetans collecting piles of debris days later, contradicting assurances from Cai and Arc’teryx after the global backlash that third-party environmental organizations will conduct a thorough evaluation of the project’s ecological effects and timely and effective remedial actions.
“Didn’t Cai Guoqiang, who blasted the Himalayas, promise in his apology letter that he was ‘willing to make every effort to take remedial and restorative measures’?” Tibetan writer and netizen Tsering Woeser asked online. “Yet now, all these consequences have fallen upon the local people and upon the countless plants and animals across the mountains.”
A tourist who attempted to film the site on Wednesday reported being blocked by staff but described “a mountain full of holes caused by the explosions.” The visitor confirmed that villagers had been labouring for days to clean the area but had yet to finish the work.
Both Cai and Arc’teryx issued apology statements on Chinese social media over the weekend, admitting to “oversights” and promising to cooperate with environmental assessments. Yet the reality on the ground points to Tibetans themselves shouldering the burden of removing hazardous waste from their fragile, high-altitude ecosystem.
Critics argue that this incident is not isolated but part of a wider pattern of Chinese exploitation of Tibet’s ecology, from unchecked mining and damming of rivers to mass tourism projects, all carried out under the watch of the Chinese government, which continues to prioritise spectacle and profit over the fragile Himalayan environment and the rights of the Tibetan people.
One Response
“The CCP’s ruthless exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources and environment has reached such extremes that even Chinese netizens like Cai feel entitled to treat Tibet as their playground. But for a respected Canadian outdoor brand like Arc’teryx—representing a nation that values ethics and civility—to engage in such conduct is beyond comprehension. Truly unthinkable.”
Tibet advocates and global supporters must unite and hold Arc’teryx accountable first, compelling the brand to take action against this individual, Cai