Central China's city of Liuyang, dubbed the "hometown of fireworks," staged a special edition of its Saturday night fireworks show on Dec 28 to celebrate the upcoming New Year.
Since 2023, the city has been routinely holding fireworks shows on Saturdays to boost tourism, attracting over 5 million spectators so far. Over 100,000 spectators gathered for the end-of-the-year special at Liuyang's Sky Theater on Saturday.
The hour-long spectacle of creativity and brilliance lit up the night sky with over 10,000 fireworks that reached heights of over 300 meters. The show also used 1,000 drones to launch 1,800 blue fireworks in midair to mimic a meteor shower.
For a special feature in the last show of the year, organizers collected 2,025 wishes and launched them to the sky with 2,025 lantern shape fireworks, wishing people a happy New Year in 2025.
Liuyang has been actively developing its fireworks industry in recent years, introducing new standards for fireworks products, emphasizing environmental performance and innovation. LiuYang has pioneered the development of eco-friendly fireworks, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of the industry while maintaining the stunning visual effects that have made the city famous.
China's 'hometown of fireworks' stages end-of-year special show
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig, the outgoing Sudanese ambassador to China and the newly appointed foreign minister of Sudan, in Beijing on Wednesday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, congratulated Siddig on his assumption of office as Sudanese foreign minister, and expressed appreciation for his contributions to promoting the development of China-Sudan relations during his tenure as ambassador to China.
Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between China and Sudan, Wang called on both sides to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, promote continuous fruitful results in the bilateral relations, and bring benefits to the two peoples.
China supports Sudan firmly in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and supports Sudan in achieving peace, stability and development at an early date, said Wang, adding that China will continue to provide humanitarian assistance within its own capacity.
Siddig said that Sudan regards China as its most important partner and a trustworthy friend, prioritizes cooperation with China, and will continue to support China firmly in safeguarding its core interests.
As the new foreign minister, he will continue to spare no effort to promote the development of the Sudan-China strategic partnership, and will work collaboratively to implement a series of important global initiatives proposed by China.
Chinese FM meets with new Sudanese counterpart
