Fireworks return to Victoria Harbour after 5 years
Hundreds of thousands of revellers flocked to both sides of Victoria Harbour on Sunday as the National Day fireworks display returned after a five-year absence. The fireworks began at 9pm, lighting up the sky for around 23 minutes. The dazzling display featured an array of fireworks in heart, star, and smile shapes. Police said 430,000 people watched the show on both sides of the harbour. Spectators expressed their amazement at the display, noting that the hours of waiting were well worth it. "It's wonderful. I waited for a couple of hours. It was beautiful and worth watching. Of course we feel excited because Hong Kong hasn't had fireworks for such a long time," said one of the spectators in Tsim Sha Tsui. "It's beautiful. It's my first time coming here to watch the fireworks and it really worth the wait. I waited for almost four hours." said another spectator.  Over in Wan Chai, numerous top government officials gathered at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to watch the fireworks display. Speaking at a ceremony ahead of the show, Chief Executive John Lee said the return of the fireworks display signified Hong Kong's return to normality. "The fireworks tonight shows that Hong Kong has fully returned to normality after overcoming obstacles. The city is progressing towards a brighter future. Tonight's fireworks display is the highlight of our Night Vibes Hong Kong campaign, allowing both residents and tourists to experience the vibrancy and attractiveness of the city during night time," said Lee.  Due to the overwhelming crowd turnout at both sides of Victoria Harbour, the police implemented road closures earlier than planned at 6:15pm in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom and the West Kowloon Cultural District. Most exists at the Exhibition Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui and East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stations were closed before 7pm, as part of the police force's crowd control strategy. The waterfront carnival in Wan Chai also suspended its services at 5 pm for crowd control, leading to some residents leaving disappointed. The bazaar was due to restart at 10.30pm, but it resumed more than half an hour earlier than scheduled to the delight of revellers. It lasted until around 2am.