LETTER TO THE EDITOR
(TibetanReview.net, Sep23’25)
Last week, the Canadian outdoor brand Arc’teryx, now owned by Chinese sportswear giant Anta, joined hands with Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang to stage a massive fireworks display in Gyantse, Tibet. The company presented it as an artistic collaboration, and the fireworks spanned two kilometers, symbolizing creativity, nature, and transcendence. Instead, they staged a display of corporate and state power. Their act shows that Tibet is not seen as the homeland of an oppressed people. It is treated as a blank canvas for branding by outsiders. The voices and rights of Tibetans are ignored.
For Tibetans, this spectacle was not beautiful. It was desecration.
Occupation Disguised as Creativity
Cai Guo-Qiang did not perform in Beijing or Shanghai. There, pollution and political criticism might overshadow his “art.” Instead, he chose Tibet. Tibet is a land under military control where dissent is silenced. In Tibet, permission comes from occupiers, not the people who live there. He and Arc’teryx treated our homeland as empty space, free for their show. Tibet is not empty; it is occupied. Every firework over Gyantse marks ongoing exploitation and appropriation of our land, culture, and sovereignty, all without Tibetan consent.
Sacred Mountains, Profaned
Our mountains are not setting for foreign brands. They are the homes of our protective deities, who guard our land and people. For centuries, Tibetans have circled them in pilgrimage, offering prayers. Cai’s vivacities replaced devotion with dominance.
The image of a “dragon,” a Chinese symbol, burned into a Tibetan sacred ridge, is not neutral art. It is overt political messaging under the guise of creativity, marking occupation and reinforcing domination over a subject people.
Arc’teryx’s Hypocrisy
Arc’teryx presents itself in the West as a defender of wild spaces. Yet in Tibet, it ignored the values it claims to hold. Biodegradable fireworks? In Himalayan soil, nothing degrades quickly. Relocating herds? No apology erases the violation of sacred land.
Arc’teryx’s actions expose their hypocrisy: in North America, they would never stage an event on Indigenous sacred land, but in silenced, occupied Tibet, they feel empowered to do so. This stark double standard displays the arrogance of power and disregard for Tibetan rights.
A Long Pattern of Exploitation
The fireworks are only the latest insult in a decades-long pattern:
• Cultural Revolution lootings: Tibetan statues and scriptures were destroyed or stolen, now displayed in Chinese museums or sold at auction as “Chinese art.”
• Tourism propaganda reduces Tibetan culture to costumes and dances for Han tourists. Monasteries become performance halls under surveillance.
• Environmental plunder dammed our rivers, mined our minerals, and displaced our nomads. These acts are done in the name of “development.”
• Chinese artists and filmmakers continue to use Tibetan imagery. They strip it of meaning and present it as China’s own.
Cai Guo-Qiang’s fire dragon is not an isolated incident—it is another example of a continuing pattern: Tibet used as a symbol, consumed for spectacle, and steadily erased by outside powers.
Apologies Are Empty
Arc’teryx and Cai apologized. But what good is an apology if the occupation continues? What good is regret if Tibetans are never consulted, heard, or given the dignity to say “no”? Apologies without recognition of Tibet’s political status are meaningless. They are public relations, not repentance.
The Call We Must Answer
The world must not see Tibet only as a backdrop for Chinese shows and corporate branding. Tibet is not a stage for outsiders; Tibet is an occupied nation whose people and culture are being systematically erased.
Tibet is a nation living under occupation, and its culture is under siege. Each fireworks show, mining project, or propaganda performance is another weapon used to erase us.
If Arc’teryx truly respects nature, it must stop helping cultural colonization. If Cai Guo-Qiang is truly an artist of conscience, he must face the politics of where he makes his “art.” If the world truly believes in justice, it must stop being silent as Tibet’s mountains become billboards for occupation.
Fireworks Fade. Resistance Does Not.
The fire dragon over Gyantse has vanished from the night sky. But its smoke lingers in our lungs, hearts, and memory. It reminds us that if Tibet is occupied, our land will be exploited, desecrated, and branded.
But it also reminds us of our duty: to resist, to speak out, and to call on the international community—supporters, journalists, and policymakers, to recognize Tibetan voices, demand accountability, and stand with us in protecting our homeland.
And no fireworks — however bright — will ever outshine that truth.
— Tenzin Jigmey
(Tenzin Jigmey is presently a high school chemistry teacher and an adjunct lecturer at Union County College in New Jersey. With years of experience in both education and laboratory work, he brings a unique perspective as someone who has journeyed from the Tibetan exile school system to the American education system. His reflections draw on his personal experiences as a student, teacher, and community member dedicated to education and growth)