Hong Kong's New Year's Eve countdown celebrations to be one of world's largest, most spectacular pyrotechnic displays
December 28, 2010

NEW YORK, NY - Set to upstage even the glittering razzle-dazzle display of New York's Times Square – while welcoming in the New Year half a day earlier – the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) will mount its most extravagant, most dazzling display ever with the launch of the Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations on December 31 moments before midnight. To ensure global audiences can share in the excitement of spectators in Hong Kong, the HKTB will provide satellite feed of the entire event for use by television broadcasters worldwide.

This year, the HKTB will add new visual effects to its already dazzling pyrotechnics, including numeric patterns for the countdown. The combination of colourful patterns and movements atop Hong Kong's iconic skyscrapers will symbolise a soaring dragon, set to light up the spectacular, world-famous Victoria Harbour.

In the last 10 seconds preceding 2011, pyrotechnics carrying the patterns of numbers 10 to 1 will be launched one by one atop the 2 IFC and nine other buildings on Hong Kong Island to lead spectators in a citywide countdown. As the clock strikes midnight, a four-minute choreographed musical pyrotechnical show will commence. During the show, pyrotechnics will be ignited on both sides and atop 2 IFC and the other nine selected buildings. In addition to other special effects, the display will bring to life a colourful dragon soaring in the sky above Victoria Harbour to stand for the continued progress of Hong Kong's economy in 2011.

To ring in 2011, 44 skyscrapers and landmarks on the waterfront will mark the arrival of the New Year with a profusion of lights, fireworks, lasers and blinking patterns synchronized to music. The show is a natural – if also ambitious – extension of the Symphony of Lights that illuminates the Hong Kong sky nightly at 8 PM.