Li Fan Park

Li Fan Park

Li Fan Park is situated in the eastern part of Shangli County. Shangli County is the hometown of Li Fan, the forefather of firecrackers in China and the birthplace of the fireworks industry. The "Tang History" records: Li Fan, a native of Mashishi, Shangli, Yuanzhou Prefecture, Jiangnan West Circuit, was born on April 18th in the fourth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (621 AD). Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was harassed by mountain spirits and, despite long-term treatment, saw no improvement. He then issued an imperial edict seeking medical help across the nation. At that time, Li Fan, a 24-year-old commoner and hunter, responded to the call. Drawing inspiration from the principle of the hunting gunpowder weapon, he filled bamboo tubes with saltpeter and used them to create explosions that drove away the malevolent mountain spirits, thus restoring the emperor's health. As a result, Li Fan was honored as the Forefather of Firecrackers. The people of Shangli have long revered Li Fan. As early as the third year of the Hongwu era of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (1370 AD), a “Shrine to Li Fan, the Forefather of Firecrackers” was established within the Yousheng Temple on Nanjie Street in Shangli — originally built in the ninth year of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (354 AD). Every year on April 18th, the birthday of Li Fan, those in the fireworks industry in Shangli gather here to pay homage to their forefather, a tradition that continues to this day. In December 1999, Shangli County began constructing Li Fan Park. Numerous fireworks business owners and members of the public contributed to casting a 12.8-meter-high, 2.5-ton bronze statue of Li Fan, which stands on Longshan Ridge along National Highway 319 in the Foling section of Shangli. It has become a striking cultural landmark of the fireworks capital and a symbol of Shangli’s traditional fireworks industry. The park is currently under construction.