Fireworks firms fire up for innovation

After a sharp drop in Spring Festival sales, fireworks companies in Liuyang, Hunan province and the authorities overseeing their production hope to re-ignite demand by making more innovative and environmentally friendly products.

The Spring Festival holiday used to mean big business for the industry, but sales plunged this year, said Hu Jianjun, deputy director of the Liuyang fireworks and firecrackers administration bureau.

The decrease mainly came in cities, while rural areas saw little change, said Lu Binghui, chairman of the Liuyang Fireworks and Firecrackers Association.