History of Fireworks in China for Elementary

By Sloan Campbell

Hey everyone, it's Globee! I'm visiting China right now, and I want to talk about a big part of their culture and celebrations: fireworks!

Fireworks have simple and natural beginnings in the form of bamboo lit on fire. The thick bark of the stalks would cause the heat to build up inside so much that the plant would BURST! They were used not only as a celebration, but as a way to scare off harmful monsters and spirits as well.

Eventually, something would be added to these plants that would change the game forever: gunpowder! Interestingly, this explosive powder was discovered entirely by accident when people were trying to create a potion of eternal life. This would be added to the bamboo, making the boom bigger and brighter!

As time passed, different salts and powders would be added to the mixture, making fireworks a more colorful spectacle, shaping them into what we see today!