Violinist Feng Chuxuan sparked a public outcry on the 10th by posting on Facebook: “They’d rather spend millions on boring fireworks than 30,000 on a rain canopy.” Her comments immediately turned public sentiment against the National Day fireworks organizers.
However, staff members from that night quickly countered her narrative. They claimed the orchestra took advantage of a break in the rain to rush onto the stage, completely disrupting the pre-arranged schedule. “We were all running around in the rain without complaining—how entitled are you?” one staff member wrote.
A netizen named Lee, who monitors the domestic arts scene, shared screenshots of the staff’s posts on the 12th, noting: “With social media, it’s too easy to broadcast grievances! But the truth is never as simple as ‘whoever screams first wins’.”
⛈️ Reconstructing the Night’s Events
According to the staff’s accounts, the timeline suggests a different story:
- Delay in Decision: When the rain started, the orchestra sought shelter. The host went on stage to fill time while organizers asked the orchestra if they still intended to perform. The orchestra reportedly procrastinated and failed to make a decision.
- Rushing the Stage: Once the technical crew assumed the performance was cancelled and began removing expensive audio equipment to protect it, the orchestra suddenly grabbed their chairs and rushed onto the stage.
- Ignoring Warnings: Staff members reportedly tried to stop them from going up, but the orchestra insisted.
- The Downpour: Mid-performance, a heavy downpour resumed, leading to the equipment and instrument damage that sparked the public complaint.
Netizen Lee remarked: “The organizers were definitely negligent for not having a canopy plan, but the management, decision-making, and attitude of this orchestra were equally bizarre. It’s amazing how netizens side with the ‘first chair’ just because she’s pretty.”
🖋️ Editor’s Critique
These past few days, everyone has been obsessed with the term “rain contingency.” But here’s the reality: “Not performing in the rain” IS a rain contingency! The organizers chose not to install a canopy for visual reasons related to the fireworks display. If it rains, you simply don’t perform. If the violinist was complaining because the organizers forced them to play at gunpoint or refused to pay them for a weather cancellation, I would support her 100%.
But did the orchestra not realize there was no canopy beforehand? Did they not notice it when they arrived? To gamble with the weather and then blame the house is absurd.
Furthermore, what do people expect a “rain contingency” to be for an outdoor fireworks show? Moving to an indoor venue? That’s completely impractical for this type of event. While one could argue the organizers disrespected the artists, the reality is that the fireworks were the main course—you don’t cancel the main event just to save the side dish.