World Games fireworks designer reveals show's creative secrets

A spectacular fireworks display lit up the sky over Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, on Aug. 7 to celebrate the 12th World Games, in a show the chief designer said was aimed at capturing the city's easygoing charm and China's open spirit.

Fireworks light up the sky during the opening ceremony of the 12th World Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug. 7, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Cai Canhuang Studio]

"The fireworks display was primarily intended to use pyrotechnics as a medium to create something soft and romantic," Cai Canhuang told China.org.cn. "We aimed to reflect Chengdu's relaxed, open and humorously charming character. We also hoped to show the world a lighthearted, humorous, romantic and open China."

Cai said this year's event embraced sharing and inclusivity as central themes, reflected in the choice of an outdoor venue and the use of the Tianfu Roof as a backdrop. The design, proposed by the ceremony's director team, symbolized the idea of "the world under one roof."

Cai, who took on the task in early 2024, worked for more than a year with Hu Xiao, general director of the opening ceremony, and his team to bring the vision to life.

Cai Canhuang checks fireworks rehearsals for the opening ceremony of the 12th World Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, July 26, 2025. [Photo provided by Cai Canhuang]

The creative plan for the fireworks display went through multiple revisions over the past year. The venue was originally slated for Dong'an Lake Sports Park, the main opening ceremony site for the Chengdu World University Games, but was later shifted to Tianfu Roof, a 430-meter-long timber structure billed as the largest of its kind in Asia.

Early proposals included a drone show, dropped over safety concerns, and a daytime pyrotechnic display of a lotus pond pattern, scrapped because of potential traffic disruptions.

The final concept used 12 lampposts along Tianfu Avenue to launch flower-shaped fireworks for each World Games host city, creating a synchronized blooming effect. Designers altered the chemical mix and cut the launch distance from 30 to under 10 meters to suit the lampposts and avoid safety risks.

"If the fireworks went too far, they could hit the ground by accident, and the proportion with the lampposts would look uncoordinated," he said. "These were probably the most difficult parts because fireworks are a traditional craft. That is to say, when you need to make balanced adjustments to the chemical composition, launch distance, and effect timing, it actually requires a lot of testing."

Fireworks in the shape of the Chinese characters for "Chengdu" are seen during the opening ceremony of the 12th World Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug. 7, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Cai Canhuang Studio]

The fireworks display highlighted Chengdu's identity as a "park city," with the opening staged in an open park rather than a stadium so it could blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings. While the flat terrain and nearby water features helped with safety and logistics, the openness also brought creative challenges, the designer said.

"Rather than relying on technical spectacle or large-scale installations, we focused on returning to the fundamental artistry of fireworks," the designer said. "The concept emphasized philosophical alignment with the ceremony's core message through traditional pyrotechnics, avoiding flashy innovations."

The show incorporated cultural symbols rooted in Chengdu's history. These included an inscription from a 2,200-year-old bronze artifact — the earliest known written reference to "Chengdu" — and motifs of the native dove tree and hibiscus flower. All were drawn from Sichuan's heritage, reflecting traditions that trace back to the ancient Shu Kingdom.

He noted that this edition differed from past events such as the Universiade by prioritizing the World Games' themes of openness and inclusion, with local cultural elements serving as complements rather than the main focus. Carefully chosen symbols from Sichuan's heritage were integrated to support the ceremony's vision, reflecting Chengdu's identity as both ancient and modern. The approach showed how the city's character aligns with the Games' shared values, presenting Sichuan culture through a contemporary, inclusive lens.

Fireworks form the shape of a giant tree during the opening ceremony of the 12th World Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, Aug. 7, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Cai Canhuang Studio]

A spectacular giant tree-shaped fireworks display stole the show and went viral online. Cai said the design represented a dove tree, known as the "tree for friendship," although many online viewers dubbed it the "Tree of Life."

"The creative process began with our visual concept of a tree that grows from small to large, ending as a towering canopy filled with white blossoms," he said. "The entire sequence required extreme precision in traditional pyrotechnic engineering."

Technically, Cai said, every part of the tree's crown used identical products from the same category. Pyrotechnic engineers, technicians and R&D staff controlled every layer of the display — from the height of each firework "leaf" to the split-second timing between blasts — while fine-tuning propellant loads and fuse lengths. Each shell was calibrated with precision, marking both an improvement on traditional techniques and a breakthrough for the team's craft.

As the Chengdu World Games prepares to wrap up on Aug. 17, Cai told China.org.cn what audiences can expect from the closing ceremony, for which he also designed the fireworks display.

"The closing ceremony will keep the same philosophy of shared inclusivity and romantic fireworks we established for the opening," he said. "However, the focus will shift to a more celebratory atmosphere. The pyrotechnics will be more restrained than at the opening, adapted to the venue's characteristics and timed to highlight key moments. We will still add some new visual elements."