While we were still debating whether to increase the ban on fireworks, South Korea started the idea of fireworks as early as 2012.
There are many people in South Korea who want fireworks to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, and it is a well-known fact that fireworks first originated in China. But can South Korea succeed in "plagiarism" this time?Why does South Korea always have the audacity to "take" Chinese culture?
There is no exact conclusion as to when fireworks originated, and as a technology born in the private sector, it is difficult for future generations to figure out the past and present life of fireworks.
Judging from some historical materials, there were sayings of "bursting sacrifices" and "court fire" in the pre-Qin period, and the word "firecrackers" was also mentioned in the "Jing Chu Years Chronicles" that appeared in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty once wrote a poem: "Thousands of lights shine, and seven branches of fireworks open," which probably means that fireworks bloom like branches.
History of the Tang Dynasty writes that in the year when the plague was raging, a spiritual young man named Li Jin dispelled the plague by lighting firecrackers.
Later, as the plague gradually subsided, firecrackers and fireworks became more popular, so Li Jin was called "the grandfather of fireworks".
After entering the Song Dynasty, fireworks were in a flourishing stage, at which time enjoying fireworks was no longer a unique right of the royal family, and ordinary people could also watch the beautiful scenery of fireworks.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Matteo Ricci, an Italian missionary to China, once enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the fireworks display while passing through Nanjing, and many poets' poems also recorded the grand occasion of the fireworks display.
While fireworks are becoming more and more popular among the common people, fireworks have begun to be introduced to neighboring countries such as Japan and South Korea.
In other words, China was the first to invent fireworks in the world, but now that we haven't spoken, there are people in South Korea who want to take the lead in applying fireworks to the World Heritage Site.
Originally, today, when the protection of cultural heritage is emphasized, it is not something to be fussed about that countries attach importance to the World Heritage application, but it will be supported by many people, but South Korea is different, and every time the World Heritage application is inscribed, it can always cause various "war of words".
Because we all know that with the efforts of our ancestors, the surrounding countries are relatively influenced by traditional Chinese culture, which makes everyone have some common things, such as tug-of-war, warm kang and so on.
These things may not be expressed in the same way, but in fact they have a lot in common, and they may be traced back to the same source, so whenever a certain content is to be inscribed, it will always cause a lot of controversy.
Although the controversy is not small, South Korea does its own thing and often picks these controversial items as its own, so is it possible for South Korea to take the first step in applying for fireworks as a World Heritage Site?
First of all, let's take a look at some misunderstandings related to the inscription. Many people may think that a nomination for a World Heritage Site is a declaration of a tangible or intangible cultural heritage that is exclusive to or originated in a certain country or region, but this is not the case.
Especially in terms of intangible cultural heritage, UNESCO attaches more importance to itWhether the inscription can contribute to the preservation of these heritages?
With regard to intangible cultural heritage, UNESCO considers three main aspectsThe first is the value of culture itself, the second is the urgency of cultural protection, and the third is whether there is a perfect cultural protection plan.
For example, as early as 2015, South Korea and three other Southeast Asian countries jointly applied for the "tug-of-war" World Heritage Site.
In the Korean variety show "Running Man", there are often team tug-of-war competitions.
At that time, many netizens expressed their incomprehension, because after tracing the source, the tug-of-war first originated in Zhejiang in the Spring and Autumn Period.
But in fact, until today, tug-of-war is still only a fun sport in China, and has not developed a "tug-of-war culture" with Chinese characteristics.
This is not the case in South Korea and the other three other Southeast Asian countries, where tug-of-war is a ritual to pray and celebrate a good rice harvest.
Now the tug-of-war in South Korea is not the same as our tug-of-war, the Korean tug-of-war is not like the kind of people we usually play with a few or dozens of people pulling the rope at both ends of the rope, but hundreds of people pulling the trunk rope up to three or four hundred meters together, and there will also be dozens to hundreds of trunk ropes.
It can be seen that although the name sounds the same, the content is still different, so some people mistakenly think that South Korea is using "Chinese culture" to apply for the World Heritage Site.
However, it is undeniable that there are indeed some news among the Korean people who want to use the culture of other countries to apply for the World Heritage Site, for example, some Korean netizens proposed that "Li Shizhen is Korean" and should be declared for the "Compendium of Materia Medica", which is a bit excessive.
Now that some Korean netizens have started the idea of fireworks, is it possible that South Korea can successfully apply for fireworks as a World Heritage Site?At the moment, it is unlikely.
One is that China is the world's largest exporter of fireworks, and the other is that China has banned the export of fireworks technology.
At present, China's fireworks production accounts for more than ninety percent of the world, and more than 80% of China's domestic output comes from Liuyang, Liling, Shangli and Wanzai.
Taking 2021 as an example, China exported a total of 322901 tons of fireworks and firecrackers products, with a total export value of 5,198.4 million yuan.
In recent years, China's fireworks and firecracker exports have been on a growing trend, which shows that China occupies an unshakable position in this industry.
In addition to the large output, the richness of China's fireworks and firecrackers is also incomparable, with more than 4,000 species.
For example, Mr. Cai Guoqiang, a well-known artist, once designed a 500-meter-long ladder fireworks, and the whole process burned for 60 seconds, which made people can't help but be amazed.
In the London Olympics, Qatar World Cup and other international sports events, we can often see Mr. Cai Guoqiang's fireworks works, which shows that China's fireworks have been widely recognized by the international community.
The other is that China has strictly restricted the export of fireworks and firecrackers production technology, and it is difficult for other countries to master China's leading technology for the production of these products.
Therefore, from these two aspects, it is more difficult for South Korea to successfully apply for the World Heritage of fireworks, or it is likely that the South Korean government will not consider applying for the World Heritage of fireworks.
After all, it is not the earliest place where fireworks were invented, nor is it the leading master of fireworks production technology, so it is indeed unreasonable to want to forcibly apply for the World Heritage Site, but why don't we take the initiative to apply for the World Heritage of fireworks first?
Fireworks are a kind of folk culture that has been inherited for thousands of years, carrying the feelings of countless Chinese children, but why don't we apply for fireworks as a World Heritage Site?In fact, this involves a "controversy".That is, should fireworks be banned?
Fundamentally speaking, the festival needs to have a sense of ritual, and the inheritance of the festival depends on a certain form carrier, such as fireworks and firecrackers during the Spring Festival.
I believe that many people will feel that every New Year's holiday, if you don't light fireworks and be lively, you always feel that there is a little less flavor.
However, at present, most parts of the country have regulations restricting fireworks, and the reason for restricting fireworks is easy to understand, that is, for "environmental protection".
While fireworks are pleasing to the eye, they produce carbon dioxide, particulates and other substances that pollute the air, as well as noise, all of which run counter to environmental goals.
In the final analysis, the prohibition of fireworks is a cultural proposition, and it is a question of the collision between the inheritance of traditional culture and the requirements of modern civilization.
The reason why Chinese civilization can be passed down for thousands of years is because we have been inheriting traditional culture, and fireworks are one of them, which carries our expectations for celebrating reunion, saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new.
Especially when it comes to the New Year, as soon as the sound of fireworks and firecrackers sounds, the flavor of the New Year will be full in an instant.
But now that there is an urgent need to protect the environment, if we don't restrict fireworks at all, air pollution will inevitably become worse in many places, and the consequences will be unbearable for us and the environment.
In fact, the relationship between prohibition and release is not "black and white", the effect of "ban" on environmental protection has gradually emerged, and the conditions for "release" are becoming more mature.
For example, some cities have begun to consider conditional opening of fireworks at specific places or times, which is not an attempt to inherit fireworks and protect the environment?
So today, we may not be in a hurry to talk about whether to apply for fireworks as a World Heritage Site, but to think about how to better inherit the folk culture of fireworks under the condition of environmental protection requirements, and make fireworks a "green carrier" that carries festival culture and national emotions.