Two men detained for launching fireworks toward ancient wooden building

Photo: Screenshot from the website

Two men were detained and fined for firing Gatling-style fireworks towards an iconic ancient building in Longxi county, Northwest China's Gansu Province during the Lantern Festival, which has sparked outrage after videos of the act circulated online.
Gatling-style fireworks, named after the Gatling machine gun, are a type of small-scale handheld fireworks composed of several tubes designed to shoot out multiple projectiles simultaneously and are popular during this year's Spring Festival.

Video footage online showed that the duo were holding Gatling-style fireworks shooting towards the Weiyuan Tower, a millennium-old wooden building. Witnesses said that the two men appeared to be intoxicated.

An statement released on Tuesday by the local government revealed that the two men, surnamed Guan and Chen, respectively, ignited fireworks directed toward the Weiyuan Tower under the influence of alcohol on Saturday evening (China's Lantern Festival),.

The two men were detained and fined as their actions posed a threat to the safety of cultural relics, according to the announcement.

The construction did not suffer any damage after assessment, the statement said.

The Weiyuan Tower, constructed during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), has undergone numerous renovations and expansions over the centuries. With a base height of 11 meters and a total height of 26 meters, the brick and wooden construction was listed as a national heritage in 2013.

According to local government announcement, cultural heritage sites and tourist scenic spots are designated as areas where fireworks and firecrackers are prohibited during the Spring Festival holidays.

Global Times