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| The New Year's eve countdown and fireworks display can also be viewed on TV |
People in Hong Kong will be able to ring in 2024
with a bang – literally – when the New Year countdown and fireworks display
returns to Victoria Harbour for the first time since 2018.
The Tourism Board says the 12-minute “pyromusical” show
titled will be the biggest and longest
of the countdown fireworks ever staged in the city, surpassing all previous countdowns
in both scale and duration.
The main show will be set along a 1.3 km stretch
along Victoria Harbour from Central to North Point, and will depict the “changing
seasons and the beauty of nature” set to the theme of “New Year New Legend”.
Five ships lined up along the harbour will be used
to launch the fireworks, accompanied by an eclectic mix of music, from Western
classical to Chinese traditional tunes and electronic beats. At the same time,
lighting effects and pyrotechnics set off from the rooftops of iconic buildings
on Hong Kong Island.
Mini fireworks displays will also be staged every 15
minutes starting at 11pm, culminating with the main show at exactly midnight
until 12:12 am of Jan. 1.
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| The finale of what's billed as HK's biggest New Year's fireworks show |
Hong Kong staged the last countdown fireworks in
2018, with the 2019 show cancelled due to anti-government demonstrations. The pandemic
prevented its resumption in the past three years.
The re-staging tomorrow of the revered Hong Kong
tradition follows the resumption of large-scale public events this year, as the
government seeks to put the spark back in the city’s night life.
This phenomenal display will depict the changing
seasons and the beauty of nature through colourful fireworks, as well as
lighting effects and pyrotechnics set off from the rooftops of iconic buildings
on Hong Kong Island.
Various vantage points will be available along
Victoria Harbour, many fitted with audio systems to broadcast the soundtrack of
the firework musical.
These are some of the few suggested vantage spots for
those who wish to see the show in full splendour:
Hong
Kong Island
Central Harbourfront area, including Central Piers
No.9 and 10*
Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai*
HarbourChill, Wan Chai*
East Coast Park Precinct, North Point*
Kowloon
Tsim Sha Tsui Harbourfront area, including Hong Kong
Cultural Centre Open Piazza and Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
Avenue of Stars
West Kowloon Cultural District
Kwun Tong Waterfront Promenade
Cha Kwo Ling Promenade
Kai Tak Sky Garden'
Those who cannot join the revelry in person will be
able to catch the live broadcast on local television, the Tourism Board’s
Discover Hong Kong website or on social media.
Apart from the Victoria Harbour fireworks, there
will be a New Year’s Eve market and countdown concert at Kwun Tong Promenade
Garden on Dec 30 and 31.
The festivities at the promenade will start from 2pm
and last until midnight, with nearly 100 stalls selling food and drinks, while
the concert will run from 8pm to midnight on Dec. 31.
Meanwhile, extensive road closures will be
implemented from 12 noon tomorrow, so spectators are advised to be at their
preferred locations early, and to use public transport as much as possible. The
Here is a summary of the temporary traffic and public transport arrangements as
announced by the government earlier today:
Road
closures
Road closures and traffic diversions will be
implemented in phases from noon on that day in the road sections in the
vicinity of Wan Chai, Central District and the Peak on Hong Kong Island. The
section of Island Eastern Corridor westbound between Victoria Park Road and Man
Hong Street will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic (except for
franchised buses) from 11.55pm until the reopening of roads.
Road closures and traffic diversions will be
implemented in phases in the vicinity of Tsim Sha Tsui and West Kowloon
Cultural District in Kowloon from about 6pm until the crowds disperse and the
roads reopen. Motorists are advised to avoid driving to the above affected
areas. In case of traffic congestion, motorists should exercise patience and
drive with care, and follow the instructions of the Police on site.
Public
transport services arrangements
(i) In connection with the road closure
arrangements, the bus and green minibus (GMB) routes operating in the affected
areas will be subject to diversion or suspension, and the associated bus and
GMB stops located within the affected areas will be suspended or relocated
accordingly.
(ii) The following MTR service enhancements will be
implemented on New Year's Eve:
Island Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, Tseung
Kwan O Line (sections between North Point - Po Lam and between Tiu Keng Leng -
LOHAS Park), South Island Line, Tung Chung Line, East Rail Line (section
between Admiralty - Sheung Shui), Tuen Ma Line, and Light Rail Routes 505, 507,
610, 614P, 615P, 706 and 751 will provide overnight services;
The service levels of Island Line, South Island
Line, Tsuen Wan Line, Kwun Tong Line, East Rail Line and Tung Chung Line will
be strengthened gradually from 7am on that day;
The operating hours of Disneyland Resort Line and
MTR Bus Route Nos. 506, K51 and K54 will be extended;
(iii) Special bus services of KMB Route No. N64P,
Citybus Route Nos. 4S, 18R and 38S and Cross Harbour Route No. 967N will be
operated in the small hours on January 1. The service level and operating hours
of various bus routes (including 19 KMB routes and three Citybus routes) will
be strengthened or extended respectively;
(iv) The operating hours of eight GMB routes in
Kowloon and the New Territories will be extended;
(v) Tram services will be extended to 1am the
following day and will also be strengthened subject to passenger demand;
(vi) Star Ferry, Sun Ferry, Hong Kong and Kowloon
Ferry, Discovery Bay Transportation Services and Park Island Transport will
gradually adjust and suspend part of their services from 10.30pm on that night
to facilitate the holding of the fireworks display; and
(vii) In connection with the road closure
arrangements in the vicinity of Wan Chai North, the terminus of the
cross-boundary coach service plying between Wan Chai and Huanggang Port at the
Exhibition Centre Station Public Transport Interchange will be suspended from
8.30pm on that night until the roads reopen. During that period, passengers can
use the pick-up point at Hennessy Road westbound near Southorn Centre.
Central
to Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System Services
(i) The operating hours of the Central to Mid-Levels
Escalator and Walkway System on New Year's Eve will be extended to 3am the
following day.
For details of the special traffic and public
transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD's website
(www.td.gov.hk) or mobile application "HKeMobility". Passengers may
also refer to the passenger notices displayed by the relevant public transport
operators.
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