A farmer-founded firecracker culture museum was inaugurated in Dayaozhen Village in Liuyang City, central China's Hunan Province, to showcase the Chinese invention.

The museum built in traditional Tang-Dynasty style demonstratesChina's firecracker culture and equipment.

According to historical records, the village is birthplace of the firecracker, a Chinese contribution to the world. Born in 601,Li Tian, a resident in the village, invented the primitive firework.

Now, 70 percent of the village's income comes from the fireworks industry. The 6 million yuan investment of the museum was also generated from the sale of fireworks.

Li Keming, mayor of Liuyang, said that the city's fireworks output value reached 1.5 billion yuan last year, when it handled 50 percent of China's export of firecracker products.

(eastday 10/25/2001)