Sometimes gunpowder is placed at the base of the tube, which at the end punctuates the exit of the dragon's tail with a loud boom, created when certain chemicals interact with the atmosphere.
根據我國古籍，煙火出現可能還在火藥（宋代發明）之前。如明朝羅頎的「物原」記載，劉安作「燄硝」，供隋煬帝取樂。拾遺記也記載，有人獻給戰國時代的燕昭王一種「龍膏」，燃燒起來，「色曜百里，煙色如丹」。