Post by : Badri Ariffin

Hong Kong will usher in the year 2026 without its iconic New Year fireworks over Victoria Harbor, marking an unusual deviation from the city’s festive traditions. This decision follows a devastating fire in November that resulted in the loss of at least 161 lives.

Instead of the traditional fireworks display, the Hong Kong Tourism Board plans to hold a musical event in Central on New Year’s Eve. The evening will showcase performances by the soft rock duo Air Supply among other artists. At the stroke of midnight, eight key landmarks will be illuminated as countdown clocks, featuring a brief light show.

Fireworks have historically been an essential part of Hong Kong’s celebrations for occasions such as the New Year, Lunar New Year, and National Day, drawing crowds of both locals and tourists along the harbor to enjoy the vibrant displays against the city skyline.

Rosanna Law, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, expressed that the lack of fireworks would have financial repercussions for hotels and restaurants that depend on the influx of holiday visitors.

This decision came in the wake of the city’s most lethal fire since 1948, which took place at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district. The blaze spread quickly through an apartment building undergoing renovations, fueled by inadequate bamboo scaffolding and other hazardous materials. Thousands of displaced residents are currently housed in temporary accommodations as they work to recover from this profound loss.

Hong Kong has a history of canceling fireworks in the aftermath of significant tragedies, including the deadly vessel collision in 2012 that took 39 lives, the bus crash in 2018, as well as during the protests of 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fireworks have their origins in China, where bamboo stalks were thrown into fire to create loud detonations as far back as the second century B.C. The invention of the firecracker, attributed to the Tang dynasty monk Li Tian, utilized hollow bamboo filled with gunpowder to scare away evil spirits during festivities.

#Global News