Dharamshala — Tibetans from the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress strongly condemned the recent Chinese artists' fireworks display in Tibet, which damaged Tibet's fragile ecological environment, harming animals, water sources, and grasslands in Gyaltse County, Shigatse City, Tibet.
On September 24, 2025, the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) in Dharamsala issued a press release, condemning the fireworks display set off on the Tibetan mountain in the village of Ralung, Gyaltse County, Shigatse City, Tibet, by Chinese artist Cai Guo-qiang and Arc'tery.
THarchen, secretary of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress said, "On 19th ", Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang in collaboration with the Canadan clothing brand Arc'tery in the name of art stunt, carried out an hundreds fireworks activity in Ralung village, Gyaltse County, Shigatse City, in China occupied Tibet. For this reason, today we the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Daramsala, strongly condemning the so-called artist Cai and the clothing brand Arc'tery for their insensitivity toward the fragile ecosystem of the Tibetan plateau and disregards to the local Tibetan people's way of life."
"According to reports, Cai Guo-Qiang with support from the Arc'tery under the name of "The Rising Dragon." cracked hundreds of fireworks near the Tibetan village, disregarding the possible side effects it brings to local life, environment, and well-being of wildlife. Moreover, they even sought local Chinese authorities' favor to forcefully barring rightful local people's domestic animals from grazing over the site for days to achieve their corporate vanity. The plateau is known as the Third Pole and is one of the most climate sensitive regions in the world. Scientists warn that even minor disturbances can cause lasting harm. Yet Chinese authorities approved the fireworks without requiring a full environmental impact assessment. Officials reportedly admitted that local government approval was enough, raising questions about negligence and complacent," the Tibetan activist added.
RTYC said, "After the news became public, due to heavy criticisms and pressures from so many rights groups and individuals from worldwide, both Cai Guo-Qiang, and Arc'tery publicly offered apology and the Chinese authorities even announced thorough investigation of the incident to cover the real reasons laying beneath of such incident in the China occupied Tibet."
"Through this press release, we call upon international organizations, freedom loving people all over the world to pay close attention to the real reasons and problems laying beneath in the China occupied Tibet. This so-called artist Cai's art stunt is just a text book example of so many such incidents taking places all over the Tibet," the Tibetan activists declared.
RTYC said, "Under different names of the Chinese draconian rules and regulations, the local Tibetan people can't even get a permission to a build house on their rightful land. Yet Chinese authorities take full advantage of their positions and grant licenses and permissions to their relatives or friends to exploits Tibetan natural resources, and commercial activities, etc. without check. Overall, the real reason and underlaying problems behind all these problems are due to the Chinese government's undemocratic discriminatory policies towards Tibetan people and the corruptions and embezzlement practices by those local authorities in the occupied Tibet."
