Fireworks display dazzles audience in Shandong's city

At a recent visual extravaganza in Dongming county – in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – locals and visitors alike were treated to a simply stunning traditional fireworks display known as datiehua, or strike iron flower, involving showers of spectacular sparks erupting from the pounding of molten metal.

This dazzling performance requires exceptional skill and physical prowess from its performers to produce the most mesmerizing effects.

The scene was set with a double-layered canopy, 6 meters high in an open space, adorned with fresh willow branches and filled with an array of fireworks and firecrackers. A towering pole stood in the middle, elevating the canopy to over 10 meters in height.

The centerpiece of the performance was a furnace of melting iron, where more than 10 performers took turns using rods to splash molten iron – reaching scorching temperatures exceeding 1,000 Celsius – onto the canopy. This created spectacular iron shower sparks several meters high, which were then ignited with firecrackers.

Dazzling fireworks light up the night sky during a datiehua display. [Photo by Dong Zhichao for chinadaily.com.cn]

The datiehua performances have emerged as a cultural highlight of the region, drawing increasing numbers of tourists, both domestic and international, eager to witness the breathtaking display firsthand. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)