Culture & Leisure

The annual National Day fireworks lit up Victoria Harbour last night, but a drone show scheduled to kick off the celebration was cancelled at the last minute because of signal interference, according to a government press release.   “Ionospheric scintillation,” a phenomenon mainly caused by a solar storm, disrupted the show, the statement said. Another celebratory drone show was axed on Monday for the same reason.   More than 330,000 people gathered on Victoria Harbour to watch the fireworks, according to the government, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.   “I am disappointed that the drone show was cancelled,” said Yu Huiying, 24, who arrived at West Kowloon at 3pm for the 9pm show. “I've never seen a drone show in person.”   “But I understand the show was cancelled due to natural causes, and I am excited to see the beautiful and stunning fireworks,” Yu added.   “What beautiful and special fireworks, especially the scene where the smiley face pattern turned into a love heart,” Gu Belly, 23, another spectator who came to watch the National Day fireworks for the first time.  

Thousands of revellers gathered along Wun Sha Street in Tai Hang in Causeway Bay yesterday for the first night of the annual Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. This year’s event includes a 20-metre-long LED fire dragon held by around 100 children, a first for the annual night-time event. The fire dragon dance route also extends to Causeway Bay Road, passing souvenir booths for event-goers to visit and take photos. “​​The participation of children can help promote the younger generation's understanding of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and better inherit our culture,” said Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun at the opening ceremony. A small area with old public housing estates, Tai Hang livens when the dragon dance attracts a tide of admirers. Dancers manoeuvred the dragon while carrying over 30,000 burning incense sticks. The event included performances accompanied by traditional drumming and gongs. Among the thousands in attendance was Gao Junyang, who creates and sells hand-made dragon lanterns. His first time visiting, the 17-year-old described the atmosphere as "full of life" "Every corner is teeming with excited people, who stretch their necks and hold phones above their heads,” he said. Zoe Wong, one of the Lotus Sisters, a team consisting of little girls dressed in pink cheongsams and carrying pink lotus lanterns,  in this year’s show said her excitement overwhelmed her feelings of exhaustion. “I can play with friends, and grab some incense sticks for fun and fortune,” the 7-year-old said. “I would love to come and perform again next year.” Linda Chen, 23, from Fujian Province in mainland China, also enjoyed the fire dragon dance. “Seeking happiness, health and unity with family not only means a lot to me but also follows the tradition,” she said. However, Chen said the horde of people made it difficult to see …

The 15th Edition of the Lighting Fair held by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council from Apr. 6 to Apr. 9, drew 200,000 visitors and disappointed exhibitors because of poor turnout. With the theme of “bright lighting smart living”, the spring lighting fair covered commercial lighting, decorative lighting, residential lighting, and technical lighting with accessories, showcasing an extensive array of lighting products and solutions. The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair is an annual exhibition for international buyers to learn about trends and innovations. The Autumn edition is regarded as the largest and most influential professional lighting exhibition in Asia.  "As our experience, the spring edition is typically not optimistic. So we had low expectations for this edition," said Huang Wing, a sales representative at LED Night Lights, a light fixture company based in Zhongshan. “The customer traffic and turnout in the Autumn edition is usually better.” Ariana Chen, sales manager from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was disappointed with the poor turnout. “We've been doing this for over a decade, and this year there aren't as many people as in previous years, also with fewer exhibitors. You can see from the large open area in the back of the exhibition hall,” said Chen. Zhu Yixin, 32, a seller from Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, said their turnout and visitors were not bustling this year. “Our company has been producing outdoor lights for 26 years, ” said Zhu. “Maybe it is because the light fixtures look so old-fashioned.” “Most of the exhibitors who take part in the Spring exhibition can get a better booth to displace in autumn,” said Zhu. “I hope we can have more turnout this autumn.” Cloye Wu, senior account manager, was looking forward to a better customer traffic this autumn, “The turnout this year didn’t reach our expectation, both exhibitors and …