Fireworks in the shape of a pig's nose and rings of Saturn will light up the sky and wow people, as Hong Kong celebrates the Chinese New Year next month. About 23,888 will blow up the skyline from both banks of the city's iconic Victoria Harbour to welcome the Year of the Pig.
According to the South China Morning Post, a total of 4.5 tons of fireworks will light up the sky on the night of February 6 - which is the second day of the Lunar New Year. The pyrotechnics will be fired from the barges anchored 350 meters off the Wan Chai coast.
The pig's nose fireworks will be at the center of the stage during the 23-minute extravaganza, which will be against a backdrop of a "fireworks wall" 300 meters high and 800 meters long. In one of the main scenes, the rings of Saturn fireworks will also burst in the night sky and the background music will be the theme song of the beloved locally created cartoon pig McDull, Pyro Magic Multimedia Productions said - the producer of the show.
Wilson Mao Wai-Shing, the CEO of the firm, said they initially planned to make firework patterns in the shape of a pig's head. But, they immediately dropped the idea because pig's head isn't good for the celebration of the New Year. In the Cantonese slang, "pig head" means a stupid or a fool person.
Aside from the pig's head and rings of Saturn fireworks, the show will also feature fireworks in the shape of a heart to celebrate the upcoming Valentine's Days, along with a number "8" (considered as a lucky number) and also golden ingots.
The event reportedly cost about HK$10 million (US$1.2 million) and will be paid for by sponsor Shimao Group, an international investment group. Hui Wing-Mau, the chairman of the company, said they wanted to share the joy with all Hong Kong citizens and tourists by sponsoring the fireworks display. The show is also supported by Friends of Hong Kong Association.
This year, the first day of the Year of the Pig falls on February 5. During that night, people will see the annual Lunar New Year night parade which features marching bands, troupes of acrobats, colorful floats, as well as traditional Chinese dancers and performers from around the world. The Hong Kong Jockey Club had already unveiled its float for the occasion on Monday.
Meanwhile, the firework show last year has been canceled due to a bus accident in Tai Po which caused the deaths of 19 people.
