Arcteryx Apologizes! People's Daily and Xinhua Speak Out

On September 19, the outdoor brand Arc'teryx collaborated with artist Cai Guoqiang to execute the "Raising Dragons" fireworks display in Rezhong Township, Gyangzê County, Shigatse City, Tibet, which sparked widespread concerns about its impact on the plateau's ecosystem.

Note: The image is a screenshot from the video.

On September 19, the outdoor brand Arc'teryx collaborated with artist Cai Guo-Qiang to implement a fireworks performance titled "Ascending Dragon" in Relong Township, Jiazhu County, Shigatse City, Tibet, raising widespread concerns about its impact on the plateau ecosystem.

The commentary by Xinhua News Agency on that day explicitly mentioned the time and place as "September 19th... Rilong Township, Jiangzi County."

In the early morning of September 21, the Shigatse City Internet Information Office's WeChat public account "Cloud Summit Everest" released a "Situation Report" stating:

"A task force has been established and has arrived at the scene to conduct verification. Subsequent actions will be taken in accordance with the verification results and legal regulations." Many authoritative media outlets have quoted key points and screenshots from this announcement.

Responses from all parties

On September 21, Arc'teryx issued an apology through its official account, stating that "merely apologizing is far from enough." The company will cooperate with government departments to re-evaluate the environmental impact of the project, invite third-party professional environmental organizations to conduct assessments, and commit to taking remedial actions based on the assessment results.

On the same day, the "Cai Guo-Qiang Studio" WeChat public account issued a "Statement," expressing "deep apologies," stating that they will cooperate with third-party organizations and relevant departments for evaluation. If there is indeed an environmental impact, they will make every effort to take remedial and restoration measures.

Official Comment

On September 21, the People's Daily published an article titled "After the Fireworks Fade, There Shouldn't Be Just an Apology," calling for an investigation into key issues such as approval and scientific assessment responses.

On the same day, Xinhua News Agency published a commentary titled "Xinhua Commentary: Even the Most Beautiful Fireworks Show is Destructive When Set Off in the Wrong Place," directly pointing out that the use of fireworks in the ecologically sensitive area of the Himalayas is "inappropriate," and reiterating that the investigation team has been established in Shigatse to "handle the matter according to laws and regulations."

This incident has shifted from a public relations controversy to a framework of public governance and compliance.

Apology is just the beginning; what is decisive is independent, verifiable monitoring and investigation conclusions.

It is currently uncertain whether ecological damage has been caused and whether the prior approval process is complete, as the third-party monitoring data and official investigation results have not yet been made public.

Suggestions to observe three points:

1) Whether to publicly disclose a complete assessment report from a qualified third party within a specified timeframe (including monitoring points, time series, and metal elements/particulate matter indicators).

2) The approval chain disclosed by the authorities and the applicable regulatory requirements.

3) If it is confirmed that there is an impact, is the remediation list and timeline quantifiable and trackable?