Official Report on "Himalayan Fireworks" Incident, Cai Guoqiang and Arc'teryx Issue Public Apologies

Outdoor brand Arc'teryx and artist Cai Guoqiang jointly held a large-scale fireworks show in the Himalayas of Tibet under the banner of "revering nature," which has sparked enormous controversy. Today (September 21st), multiple parties responded to the controversy surrounding Arc'teryx's collaboration with the artist for the Himalayan fireworks display.

The "Cloud Peak Everest" WeChat public account issued a situation report stating that the Shigatse Municipal Committee and Government attach great importance to this matter and have established an investigation team that rushed to the scene for verification. Follow-up actions will be taken according to the investigation results in compliance with laws and regulations.

On September 19th, outdoor brand Arc'teryx and artist Cai Guoqiang jointly ignited the large-scale fireworks display "Rising Dragon" in the Himalayas of Tibet. In the preview released that day, Arc'teryx stated they were venturing deep into the Himalayas to dialogue with larger spaces and upward directions. With reverence for nature and art as a medium, they aimed to create mountain faith together.

However, netizens criticized the activity as lacking consideration and disregarding the Himalayan environment.

On September 21st, Cai Guoqiang's studio and Arc'teryx separately issued apology statements.

"We indeed have many inadequate considerations, and I deeply apologize," Cai Guoqiang's studio stated. "Moving forward, we will actively cooperate with third-party institutions and relevant departments to conduct comprehensive assessments of this event's impact on the natural ecosystem, and will take practical actions to protect the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Specific measures include but are not limited to accepting in-depth testing by independent institutions invited by the government. If there are indeed environmental impacts, we are willing to make every effort to implement remedial and restoration measures, and will support the ecology and cultural tourism of Gyantse County through practical actions to protect the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We have always held deep reverence for nature. In the future, we will be more cautious and strictly assess the environmental impact of artistic activities."

In its apology letter, Arc'teryx pointed out: "The recent brand-sponsored Cai Guoqiang 'Rising Dragon' art project has sparked extensive public discussion. This project was intended to enhance attention to highland local culture through the artist's creation. Despite harboring such initial intentions, deviations and even departures occurred during the work's presentation. Everyone's heartfelt words have awakened us: the assessment of artistic expression boundaries needs to be more professional, and reverence for nature needs to be more humble."

Arc'teryx noted: "We deeply understand that mere apologies are far from sufficient. We have the responsibility to cooperate with the artist team under government supervision to review the environmental and ecological impacts of this project's entire process, inviting third-party professional environmental protection institutions to conduct rigorous and transparent assessment work. We promise: based on assessment results and feedback from all sectors of society, we will launch timely and effective remedial actions."

The Himalayas are an important component of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecosystem. According to the "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" released in April 2013, organizations or participants in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau tourism, mountain outdoor sports and other activities should comply with safety regulations and civilized behavior norms, meeting regional ecological tourism and mountain outdoor sports control and specification requirements; it is prohibited to destroy natural landscapes and grassland vegetation, hunt and collect wild animals and plants. Additionally, according to Article 30 of the "Fireworks and Firecrackers Safety Management Regulations," "it is prohibited to set off fireworks and firecrackers in key fire prevention areas such as mountains and grasslands."

The organizers had previously issued a statement claiming that the selected fireworks colored powders were all biodegradable materials that had passed component and smoke testing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and had been verified in multiple locations including the International Olympic Committee and Japan, the United States, and Europe, confirming that pollutant emissions met environmental standards. This ignition was classified as Level V (lowest risk level), with noise and light pollution far below nighttime fireworks, avoiding additional interference to the environment and public.

On September 20th, Xi Zhinong, founder of Wild China, told reporters that the negative environmental impact of setting off fireworks in ecologically fragile areas like the Himalayas is obvious, and Arc'teryx's claims of "environmental materials" and "full-chain ecological protection plan" are untenable.

Xi Zhinong pointed out that from an animal protection perspective, pikas feed on grass and don't eat salt, so they cannot be lured out of the ignition area through "salt bricks." Moreover, their burrows would be destroyed by explosions, damaging wild animal habitats. From an environmental restoration perspective, the plateau's high altitude, low temperature, and thin air mean extremely low degradation efficiency for chemical residues from fireworks, and residues would seep into soil and be difficult to clean; vegetation like meadows takes hundreds of years to form, making artificial restoration impossible.

Regarding remedial measures, Xi Zhinong stated that "the damage is already done" - pika burrows and vegetation have been destroyed, with no effective remedial methods in practical operation. He also noted that this incident is not only a disaster for nature but also for the Arc'teryx brand, running counter to its advocated outdoor brand philosophy.

Arc'teryx has long been called the "outdoor industry leader," with average clothing prices ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 yuan, jokingly referred to as "middle-class standard equipment." In recent years, it has achieved good performance across various regions, channels, and categories.

Following this controversy, many outdoor enthusiasts have declared they will stop purchasing Arc'teryx products, saying "wearing Arc'teryx equals supporting destruction," which may have a certain impact on its brand reputation, image, and market performance.

In late August, Arc'teryx's parent company Amer Sports (NYSE: AS) released its Q2 2025 financial results. In the first half of this year, Amer Sports achieved revenue of $2.709 billion, up 23.46% year-over-year; operating profit reached $258 million, up 157% year-over-year; net profit attributable to shareholders was $153 million, up over 10,800% year-over-year. It should be noted that Amer Sports' Q1 net profit was $135 million compared to $5.1 million in the same period last year, representing a more than 25-fold increase. Q2 profitability was also related to receiving $19 million in government subsidies.

Management indicated that the footwear business will become an important engine for Arc'teryx to achieve large-scale and sustainable profitable growth. However, with the gradual rise of the Salomon brand, Arc'teryx's growth rate within the Amer Sports Group has gradually slowed, with growth momentum not as strong as before.

Commentary

"Revering Nature" Is Not Just a Slogan - Words and Actions Should Be Consistent

The apologies have come, but they may be too late. Because the venue for this fireworks show, Gyantse County in Shigatse, is located in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau known as the "Roof of the World," one of China's and the world's most important ecological barriers, and also one of China's most ecologically fragile regions. A fireworks show not only potentially destroys alpine meadow vegetation but could also bring "catastrophic disaster" to animals inhabiting the area. "Ecological fragility" means the local ecological environment has weak recovery capacity. In other words, so-called remedial actions probably cannot be "timely" and are unlikely to be "effective."

It's worth noting that before the fireworks show, organizers and the artist consistently claimed that "fireworks use entirely biodegradable environmentally friendly materials" and would "use salt bricks to guide small animals away," leaving no ecological hazards. But these seemingly confident promises obviously cannot withstand scientific and practical scrutiny, making the apology statement's claim of "holding deep reverence for nature" appear weak and powerless.

The "Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" clearly states that organizations or participants in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau tourism and mountain outdoor sports activities are "prohibited from destroying natural landscapes and grassland vegetation." The "Fireworks and Firecrackers Safety Management Regulations" also stipulate that "it is prohibited to set off fireworks and firecrackers in key fire prevention areas such as mountains and grasslands." Currently, the Shigatse Municipal Committee and Government attach great importance to this matter and have established an investigation team that rushed to the scene for verification, with follow-up actions to be taken according to investigation results in compliance with laws and regulations.

One is a well-known outdoor brand that has always strengthened its "environmental pioneer" image, the other is a well-known artist who has always focused on the theme of "humans and nature." Both parties probably need to recognize that attention and reverence should not just be slogans, but should become principles of consistent words and actions.

To ask one more question: what exactly is art? Its fundamental meaning lies not in formal magnificence or unique creativity, but in deep concern for humanity, nature, and the world. Destroying nature in the name of "revering nature" is a distortion of art's essence and an offense to all who love nature. What does this "show" that succumbs to commercial promotion and traffic logic have to do with art?