Outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx apologises after fireworks display in Tibet sparks fury, investigation
Staged in collaboration with acclaimed Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang, the Sep 19 display saw multi-coloured fireworks being set off along a mountain trail in the climate-sensitive region.
A screengrab of a video showing a fireworks display at the foot of the Himalayas in Tibet, in a collaboration between outdoor apparel brand Arc'teryx and Chinese artist Cai Quogiang, on Sep 19, 2025. (Image: Xiaohongshu/shizhanpai)
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BEIJING: A promotional stunt by outdoor apparel brand Arc’teryx has backfired, with a fireworks display at the foot of the Himalayas in Tibet igniting public fury and sparking a probe by Chinese authorities over its environmental impact.
Both Arc’teryx and its collaborator, acclaimed Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang, have since issued public apologies, acknowledging oversights in the project and pledging to cooperate with local officials on environmental reviews.
The high-altitude daytime spectacle was staged on Sep 19 in Gyantse county in Tibet’s Shigatse region. Videos show multi-coloured fireworks being set off along a mountain trail.
Titled Ascending Dragon, the project was a tie-up between Arc’teryx and Cai, who directed the fireworks displays for the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Local media reported that Cai ignited three sequences of fireworks along the mountain ridge, including a 2,500m golden “dragon” stretching towards the peaks.
According to the reports, Cai’s team used biodegradable materials approved for the 2022 Winter Games. Livestock, herdsmen and small animals were also relocated in advance, with debris cleared and replanting carried out afterwards.
INVESTIGATION AND STATE MEDIA CRITICISM
But intense criticism quickly followed. On social media, many people warned of potential environmental damage and argued that the spectacle clashed with Arc’teryx’s conservation-focused branding.
The Tibetan plateau is one of the world’s most climate-sensitive regions, where fragile ecosystems are easily disrupted and restoration is difficult once harm is done.
Multiple Chinese state media outlets have also published commentaries condemning the stunt.
This includes China Environment News, a newspaper under China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment. In a Sunday (Sep 21) report, it wrote that while measures were taken to minimise impact, there was no guarantee that it could “truly avoid harm to the local environment”.
The commentary questioned why the fireworks display was approved in the first place, stressing that Tibet’s ecosystem is so fragile that any damage would be hard to reverse.
It added that laws protecting the Tibetan plateau were introduced for this reason, describing the safeguarding of the region’s environment as a “red line that must not be crossed”.
The commentary also questioned whether the project was approved because of Cai’s “celebrity” status, highlighting that a similar project at Japan’s Mount Fuji had been rejected over environmental concerns.
As blowback mounted, local authorities in Shigatse said on Sunday that they had set up an investigation team and would take follow-up action based on its findings.
“OUT OF LINE”
Both Arc’teryx and Cai have publicly apologised and pledged to cooperate with the authorities on environmental reviews.
Arc’teryx has taken down the video of the fireworks display and issued apologies in both English and Chinese on its social media accounts.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, the company said the display was “out of line” with its values.
“This event was in direct opposition to our commitment to outdoor spaces, who we are and who we want to be for our people and our community. We are deeply disappointed this happened, and apologise, full stop,” it wrote.
Arc’teryx added that it was addressing the matter directly with the “local artist involved” and its “team in China”, and would change the way it worked to ensure such an incident did not happen again.
Its Chinese statement on WeChat was worded differently, with Arc’teryx saying the project was intended to highlight local highland culture through the artist’s creative expression.
The company added that under the authorities’ supervision, it is committed to cooperating with the artist’s team to review the project’s environmental impact, and will also engage third-party environmental organisations to conduct an assessment.
The discrepancy between the two statements has sparked fresh criticism, with some netizens accusing the brand of shifting the blame squarely onto its China team.
“Please don’t frame this as just the 'China team’s fault’. Arc’teryx is one global brand - you are responsible for what your brand does in every region,” read one Instagram comment on Arc’teryx’s apology post. The remark itself has drawn thousands of likes.
Arc’teryx is a brand under Amer Sports, which is owned by FountainVest Partners, Anamered Investments, Tencent and Chinese sportswear company Anta.
“Come on, this was clearly staged as one of your grand global campaigns of the year. I don’t understand why the headquarters could approve it and let it happen!” another user remarked.
Meanwhile, Cai issued a public apology via his official WeChat account on Sunday morning.
“We acknowledge that there were indeed oversights in our considerations and I deeply apologise,” wrote the 67-year-old artist. He added that he “humbly accepts” all criticism regarding the execution of the artwork.
Cai said his studio is committed to taking concrete actions to protect the environment of the Tibetan plateau and will “spare no effort in implementing remedial and restoration measures”.
He added that tangible steps will also be taken to support ecological and cultural tourism in Gyantse county and protect the plateau’s ecosystem.
