Hongkongers and tourists line Victoria Harbour hours before National Day fireworks display to bag best seats
- Revellers flock to Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui waterfronts to witness city’s first National Day fireworks show after five-year hiatus
- Many exits at Tsim Sha Tsui’s two MTR stations closed off before 7pm as part of police’s crowd control strategy
Tens of thousands of Hongkongers and tourists lined both sides of Victoria Harbour on Sunday hours before the city’s first National Day fireworks show in five years, with revellers hoping to bag the best seats for the coming spectacle.
Residents and travellers alike began arriving at the promenade near the Wan Chai pier at 3pm, looking for prime spots to take in the 23-minute extravaganza that will light up Hong Kong’s night sky at 9pm.
Organisers plan to light the fuses from three barges and six pontoons moored 350 metres (383 yards) from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. The district, alongside Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay are considered the ideal places to watch the show.
Over at Tsim Sha Tsui East MTR station, exits J, K, L1, L4, L5, L6, N3 and P3 were temporarily closed off as early as 6pm under police’s crowd control strategy. Exits H and R at Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station were also sealed at around 6.45pm.
Crowds also packed out the Avenue of Stars along Tsim Sha Tsui’s waterfront, with the holiday hustle and bustle resulting in serious traffic jams along the nearby Salisbury Road and the southern end of Nathan Road at sunset.
