From the concrete bunkers carved into the hillside, where workers gingerly handle piles of explosive black powder, to the shop fronts selling colorful boxes of pyrotechnics, time may be catching up with Liuyang's millennium-old fireworks industry.
Government efforts to curb pollution have led to bans on fireworks in 444 cities across China since last year. With the fast approach of Lunar New Year — when the sound of fireworks usually echoes across Chinese towns and cities — authorities have extended the bans further, including Beijing, neighboring Tianjin and the provincial capitals Hefei and Changsha.
The sweeping bans have hit fireworks manufacturers already scrambling to adapt to shifting demographics and consumer trends. This year, the traditionally cacophonous celebrations for China's most important holiday are likely to be much more subdued.