[War & Business] U.S. Independence Day and Fireworks

On the 4th (local time), a large-scale fireworks display took place in front of the Washington Monument in Washington DC, USA, to celebrate Independence Day. Washington DC (USA) = EPA · Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Sometimes in American war movies, there is a line describing a battlefield with endless artillery fire as "like the 4th of July." In the United States, every year on July 4th, Independence Day, massive fireworks displays are held nationwide, and the noise is so loud and chaotic that it is often compared to the sound of artillery shells exploding on a battlefield.

Besides official government events, local residents buy fireworks a month in advance and set them all off during Independence Day week, which reportedly even affects veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This year as well, incidents and accidents have not ceased, and in Los Angeles, a vehicle collecting over 2 tons of illegal fireworks exploded.

This Independence Day fireworks tradition is said to have started in 1776 when the United States declared independence. However, then and now, most of the fireworks used are known to be Chinese-made. Historically, China has produced 90% of the world's fireworks, but last year and this year, due to COVID-19 lockdowns, many Chinese gunpowder factories shut down, making it very difficult to obtain fireworks even in the U.S. Critics have pointed out that despite the U.S.-China power struggle, the U.S. still depends on China for consumables like fireworks.

Of the massive amount of fireworks produced in China, only about 20% of the total production is exported. The reason Chinese fireworks are mostly consumed domestically is that while the U.S. and other countries typically hold large-scale fireworks displays once or twice a year, China has fireworks celebrations throughout the entire year.

The reason Chinese people have come to love fireworks so much is said to be due to Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, who was the first to use fireworks in official ceremonies. Emperor Yang of Sui, known for invading Goguryeo with a million-strong army in the 7th century AD and suffering a crushing defeat that cost him his empire, named his reign "Daye (Great Achievement)" upon ascending the throne. To match the grandeur of this reign title, he created numerous large-scale festivals, resulting in fireworks being set off all year round. This custom has been established for over 1,300 years, and Chinese people now set off fireworks during personal celebrations such as weddings, moving, and business openings.

The irony that fireworks created by one of the worst tyrants in 5,000 years of Chinese history have become a tradition celebrating the first steps of democracy makes one reflect on today's U.S.-China relations. A remark made by Chairman Mao Zedong during a 1972 meeting with U.S. President Richard Nixon remains meaningful: "Our wise ancestors invented gunpowder and used it for fireworks but never made guns, and they invented the compass but did not try to discover countries like America as Columbus did."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.