HThe famous New Year’s Eve fireworks show in Kong has been canceled by officials who have cited public safety concerns. It is the last major event in the territory that has stopped in the middle of six months of protests.
The Hong Kong tourism board confirmed on Wednesday that the show’s event had been called off, the first time the screen had been canceled since it began in 2007, a department spokesman said. The board added that a laser light show would be held along the horizon.
“Public safety is our top priority, as fireworks can attract large crowds around the port,” tourism board chairman Pang Yiu-kai said, according to South China Morning Publication.
This is the second time a fireworks castle has been canceled for fear of protest. In October, fireworks to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China were also called off.
Because Hong Kong’s time zone exceeds hours ahead of western cities, its pyrotechnic display against the backdrop of the territory’s horizon is often featured in prominent New Year’s Eve fireworks displays. all the world.
Last year’s show drew more than 300,000 partygoers who gathered on both sides of Victoria Harbor, which stretches across the city’s busiest shopping and tourist districts.
The countdown is just one of more than a dozen events in the territory that have been canceled due to ongoing protests. The city’s largest music festival, Clockenflap, a major hiking race, the Hong Kong Tennis Open and several concerts are just a few of the events that have been called off.
Anti-government protests, initially in response to a controversial extradition project, have irritated the territory since June. The city has recorded its first recession in a decade and the tourism sector has been hit hard. Tourist figures fell by about 60% in November, local media reported.
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