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According to China Daily and Xinhua, the "Ascending Dragon" show—created in collaboration with Arc'teryx—was staged on Sept. 19 on a mountain slope at an altitude of 5,500 meters in Gyalze County, Xigaze City, Tibet Autonomous Region. Cai, 58, born in Fujian Province, is one of China’s most prominent contemporary artists.
China Daily reported the fireworks were intended to symbolize vitality and good fortune and were made with powders organizers said were biodegradable and "confirmed through international testing."
But video of the event released the next day quickly went viral, prompting concern that the show could disturb wildlife, damage vegetation, or contaminate the high-altitude environment.
Video from the show "Ascending Dragon" as circulated on Weibo.
In an interview with The Paper, Xi Zhinong, founder of environmental group Wild China, warned of potential harm, including habitat disruption, and noted that vegetation in such regions can take centuries to regenerate. He added that Chinese law prohibits fireworks in forests, mountains, grasslands, and other high-risk fire zones.
Some netizens argued the so-called eco-friendly materials were merely "less polluting" than conventional ones and far from zero-impact. Others emphasized the plateau's extreme fragility, saying "even a tire mark can take decades or centuries to heal, let alone such large-scale smoke and noise pollution," as quoted by Global Times.
Critics also called the show an act of cultural arrogance, citing local traditions that revere mountain deities and discourage loud explosions, and raised concerns that powerful blasts could produce sound waves that threaten climate-stressed glaciers and disturb plateau wildlife.
In a statement on his WeChat official account, Cai said he and his studio take the public's concerns seriously and "humbly accept all criticism of our artistic creation on the plateau." "We indeed overlooked many aspects, and I deeply apologize," he said, pledging to work with third-party agencies and local authorities to assess any environmental impact and undertake remediation if needed.
Arc'teryx also apologized, saying it "sincerely accept all criticism and suggestions," and offering its "sincerest apologies" for the show.
Xinhua reported that the city of Xigaze, also called Shigatse, announced on Sunday it had established an investigation team to examine the display after the video drew widespread attention.
Authorities said the team was promptly dispatched to the site for verification, and that follow-up actions would be taken in line with applicable laws and regulations.
Cai has completed more than 650 exhibitions worldwide. He served as artistic fireworks director for the Beijing 2008 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies and similar roles at other major global events. In 2012, he received the U.S. Medal of Arts for contributions to international cultural exchange.
