Asia’s craziest 600-second musical fireworks show featuring shooting stars that grant wishes over Victoria Harbour

▲ Simulation video of the 2017 Victoria Harbour New Year’s Eve fireworks. (Video provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board)

▲ Simulation image of the 2017 Victoria Harbour New Year’s Eve fireworks. (Image provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the same applies below)

Reported by Jiayun Ye / Compiled report

The New Year’s Eve fireworks over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour are hailed as the grand finale of Asia’s annual events. This year, the “Bank of China Hong Kong 2017 Hong Kong Countdown” (New Year’s Eve fireworks), organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), will take place on the evening of December 31st over Victoria Harbour and several buildings in Hong Kong Island. To make the show even more spectacular, the Tourism Board will also host a street party in Tsim Sha Tsui before the countdown, inviting celebrity performers to celebrate with the public as they welcome the new year.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, this year’s show has been extended to ten minutes and will feature several brand-new fireworks designs, including “Six Stars in a Ring,” “Butterflies in Flight,” and “Sea Salute Cannons.” Special lighting effects will also be introduced over the water for the first time. After the approximately ten-minute fireworks display, special lighting effects inspired by the aurora borealis will continue to shimmer over Victoria Harbour, bringing the show to a perfect close.

▲ %This year’s fireworks will include six-star rings and more.

Before the countdown begins, the Tourism Board will host a street party around 10 PM near Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier (close to Star House), featuring performances by multiple celebrity guests. At 11 PM, six buildings in Hong Kong Island—including Cheung Kong Center, CITIC Tower, Harbour Centre, Harbour Square, Queensway Government Offices, and Revenue Tower—will launch “Wishing Stars” fireworks from their rooftops every 15 minutes, each symbolizing a different meaning, allowing both tourists and locals to make their New Year’s wishes.

▲ Romantic wishing stars blooming across multiple buildings.

The public can enjoy the show from various locations across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. The best viewing spots include Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, the coastal area of Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Central’s new waterfront, the area around piers 9 and 10 in Central, and Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai.

▲ Schedule and viewing spots for Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve event.