Hong Kong’s 22-year-old nightly “A Symphony of Lights” harbour display has “completed its historical mission” and will be replaced by holiday-themed light shows at multiple tourist attractions, authorities have said.
Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, said during a press conference on Friday that A Symphony of Lights would be axed during the second half of the year.
“A Symphony of Lights has accompanied Hong Kong for over 20 years and has completed its historical mission,” Law said in Cantonese.
The looming end of A Symphony of Lights was announced during the city’s budget address on Wednesday, with Finance Secretary Paul Chan saying the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) would launch a new project “with the theme of light festivals across various locations at different times of the year.”
Law elaborated on Friday, saying that the government hopes to “revitalise” traditional sightseeing spots with light shows marking different holidays, such as Christmas, Halloween and the Lunar New Year.
The Peak is one possibility, Law told reporters. She said many first-time visitors to Hong Kong would go to The Peak but might not return a second time if they come back to to the city.
“But if we have a new light festival being offered there with thematic differences around the year, then maybe you think you have to come again and visit The Peak… and the malls again in the area,” she said.
“We will not be offering the same programme every day. We will not be offering a show every day, but we will tie in with specific festivals that we would like to promote and celebrate,” Law added.
She said authorities were encouraged by the positive feedback to an “immersive audiovisual show” held nightly in Central from late December to early January as part of “Winter Wonderland in Central,” an event run by the HKTB and property developer Hongkong Land.
The light show involved holographic projections on eight buildings, including the HSBC Main Building and the Court of Final Appeal.
The tourism chief said she hoped to roll out the new light shows during the second half of the year.
World record, mixed reviews
Since 2004, the HKTB has been holding nightly 8pm light shows involving lasers beaming from lit-up buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour.
The show, which lasts around 10 minutes, was awarded the “Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show” title by Guinness World Records in 2005.
It is accompanied by a soundtrack played by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring instruments like Chinese flutes and the erhu to represent “east meets west,” according to the Tourism Commission.
However, the show has attracted negative reviews online, with some describing it as underwhelming and the lighting effects not pronounced enough against the large skyline.
Finance chief Chan announced HK$1.66 billion in funding for the HKTB in the coming fiscal year. Besides launching new light shows, other tourism initiatives include the revitalisation of historic buildings and a scheme to encourage NGOs to undertake “rural tourism projects” to boost visitors to villages in the Northern Metropolis.