Having a blast

He described the ongoing Chengdu World Games — with its diverse sporting program, featuring a number of non-Olympic events — as more of an inclusive celebration than the more competitive atmosphere of the Olympic Games, and their focus on "faster, higher, stronger".

This perspective made his approach to designing the show more relaxed and playful compared to previous projects.

"With every major fireworks display, I aim to capture the spirit of the times," he said. This time, he even incorporated a segment where the fireworks took the form of rolling ocean waves — a deliberate metaphor.

To him, sporting events are almost Utopian spaces, where conflicts and cultural differences are temporarily set aside.

"In recent years, geopolitical tensions have escalated, and economic wars persist. The 'waves' symbolize my hope — that despite the current setbacks to globalization, its tide will inevitably keep advancing with unstoppable force," he explained.

Cai's name literally contains fire — both characters in his given name "Canhuang "incorporate the "fire" element.

This seems prophetically aligned with his eventual career.

Yet destiny works in curious ways. The 40-year-old artist and large-scale fireworks designer was once a martial arts student at Beijing Sport University, with no childhood interest in the arts whatsoever.

Everything changed in the summer of 2008. Then 23, Cai was volunteering at the Beijing Olympics when he witnessed the iconic footprint fireworks designed by renowned artist Cai Guoqiang. Twenty-nine explosive steps marched along Beijing's central axis into the National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, symbolizing the 29 Olympiads and China's century-long journey toward its Olympic dream.

"Inside the stadium, I was spellbound, but didn't fully grasp the meaning," Cai Canhuang recalls.

"Only after hearing Cai Guoqiang's interviews did I realize fireworks could convey such profound concepts. That's when my obsession with fireworks began."

After graduation, he joined Cai Guoqiang's studio.

"Pyrotechnic design isn't a safe or clean job — you handle volatile chemicals daily. But passion makes you dive deep into the research.

"Fireworks feel alive to me. There's an unpredictability, as if they have their own will."

As a designer, his greatest joy remains that final moment of ignition.

"The entire creative process is intense, cerebral. But, when my designs finally light up the night sky, no matter how many times I see it, the emotion still overwhelms me," he added.

xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn