Letters | A win-win approach to monthly fireworks in Hong Kong

Readers discuss the budget’s proposal of a monthly fireworks display over Victoria Harbour, and political party posters along the city’s streets

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Crowds watch a fireworks display over Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Year of the Dragon, in Hong Kong, on February 11. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 2:30pm, 7 Mar 2024

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In February 2013, in response to a question from a lawmaker on the impact of fireworks on air quality, the then secretary for the environment said the authorities would “carefully examine all applications of fireworks display” to ensure that these activities were only restricted to “particularly important” days for Hong Kong, such as the fifth, 10th and 15th anniversaries of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the 2009 East Asian Games opening ceremony.

The secretary added: “In addition, for hosting fireworks displays on special days, the Home Affairs Bureau has included in the application guidelines for fireworks display requiring sponsors not to purchase and use fireworks containing these harmful [heavy metals], and use as far as possible environmentally friendly fireworks and launching technology to minimise impact on the environment.”

Recently, the secretary for culture, sports and tourism stated that monthly pyrotechnic and drone displays over Victoria Harbour, as announced in the financial secretary’s budget speech, would be themed to suit different seasons and festivals.

The present secretary for environment and ecology surely cannot concur that days of particular importance now occur at monthly intervals but hitherto have not been celebrated in this manner. Nor can he be pleased that annual pollution from pyrotechnics will be increased by at least an order of magnitude.

Hong Kong already has a nightly pyrotechnic display. Use the sum budgeted for monthly pyrotechnics in a lottery for guests who have already made a booking at Disneyland that rewards the winners with reduced fees. There would be no increase in pollution, certainty in measuring the return on investment and an increased probability of a lengthened, overnight stay in a facility partly owned by our government instead of a dash to a border crossing with conveniently extended opening hours.