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HongkongIconic Victoria Harbor will remain dark this New Year’s Eve as the city abandons its traditional fireworks display. Destructive fire claims 161 lives November. By 2026, the region will no longer see the spectacular and colorful explosions that usually light up its famous skyline.
Instead of setting off fireworks, the city’s tourism bureau organized a music show in the Central business district, which is also home to the famous nightlife center Lan Kwai Fong, featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other performers. Eight famous landmarks will also take part, transforming their facades into giant countdown clocks that will stage a three-minute light show at midnight.
The absence marks a significant departure from tradition, as fireworks have long been a spectacular centerpiece of New Year’s Day, Lunar New Year and National Day celebrations. Set against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s world-famous skyscrapers, these vibrant displays typically draw hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors to the waterfront.
Rosanna Law, secretary of the Hong Kong Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, acknowledged on Tuesday that the ban on fireworks would affect the business of some hotels and restaurants.
financial center Worst fire since 1948 In late November, an epidemic broke out in Wang Fook Court in the northern suburbs of Tai Po. The apartment complex is undergoing a months-long renovation project, with the buildings covered in bamboo scaffolding and green mesh.
Authorities cited substandard mesh and foam panels installed on the windows as factors that contributed to the fire’s rapid spread. Thousands of affected residents moved into transitional housing, hotels and youth hostels, struggling to recover from the lives lost and the homes they spent years purchasing. The casualties are distressing for many residents across the city.
Past tragedies in Hong Kong have forced the cancellation of similar fireworks events. These include the 2013 National Day celebrations after a boat collision on October 1, 2012 that killed 39 people, and the 2018 Lunar New Year celebrations after a bus accident that killed 19 people. During the 2019 anti-government protests and Coronavirus disease Multiple monitors have also been scrapped during the pandemic.
It is believed that the origins of fireworks can be traced back to China According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a U.S. trade group, the first natural “firecracker” was created in the second century B.C. when bamboo stalks were discovered to make a loud explosion when thrown into a fire.
this Guinness The world records organization says the first accurately recorded firework, a Chinese firecracker, was created by Li Tian, a monk from the Tang Dynasty in China who dated from 618 to 907 AD. Li Tian discovered that putting gunpowder into closed hollow bamboo stems produced a huge explosion and tied the firecrackers together to create traditional New Year firecrackers to ward off evil spirits.