What many might not know is that most of the rising vortex effects used to come from Guangxi/Link Triad. Classics like Colibris, for example, still bear the classic item numbers, such as W504A from China National Native, Guangxi Branch, even today in Hunan, printed on the boxes of current products in those sizes.
In the end, only one factory in all of Guangxi was still authorized to produce rising vortex effects – and I've tried to revive some of the classic products here.
The last of the four sizes is the Sonnenvögel Klein, in the same format as the old classics like Colibri, available in red and green. We've enhanced the effect with titanium sparks and maximized the amount of powder and burn time with the cartridges.
The birds are very well made, just like in the old days, with both ends still covered in red wax paper/paper with a floral pattern. These days, on items from Hunan/Jiangxi, you usually just see the red clay applied carelessly, and all my attempts to have them made the old way have failed, with the explanation that it would severely limit the factory's capacity. Especially given the small size of the item, this is hardly feasible nowadays, which is why I've decided to include an extremely similar item in my product range alongside the moths, one that is actually made the old way.
The boxes are still wrapped in cellophane, and the wings are neatly and securely attached. The elaborate manufacturing process, as it was done in the past, comes at a price, which is why, in terms of value for money, it probably makes much more sense to opt for the moth-shaped fireworks. However, the result is, in my opinion, a very good and lovingly crafted firebird for its size, the likes of which haven't been seen on the market for probably over 20 years. However, it does happen that some specimens have less power, the reason for which remains unclear to me – perhaps the hole in the casing burns too wide.
Unfortunately, this will probably be the first and last batch for quite some time – if we're unlucky, perhaps forever – as the factory in Guangxi is no longer allowed to produce ascending vortex fireworks and has therefore been sold by the owner (the daughter of the former owner). I find this extremely regrettable, as her father founded the factory over 35 years ago and had already been producing fireworks for a long time before that, and it's the only factory I know that still operates in the old style, like in the 80s and 90s. A small factory where workers still meticulously label and package each item entirely by hand – often steps that haven't been performed elsewhere for at least 20-25 years. Stepping into the factory feels like stepping back in time. A completely different world, which appealed to me far more than the hundreds of factories in Hunan and Jiangxi, all churning out the same mass-produced goods optimized for efficiency and low cost.
It's probably impossible to find anyone else willing to work with such meticulous care, although I will certainly try.
So, unfortunately, there are now no more factories in all of Guangxi authorized to produce rising vortices.
