HK's Labour Day fireworks show draws mixed reactions from netizens

Some Chinese tourists have expressed their disappointment after watching the Labour Day fireworks show organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). 

The 10-minute pyrotechnic display, featuring a gold theme, took place near Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade over Victoria Harbour yesterday.

Combined with the "A Symphony of Lights" multimedia light show, the display was launched from about 130m offshore, reaching a maximum height of approximately 100m. It included various patterns, including a happy face and the initials "HK," illuminating the night sky.

Despite the government's efforts to welcome Chinese tourists, the show has drawn mixed reactions from netizens. Media intelligence firm CARMA saw over 966 mentions about the latest marine pyrotechnic display across social platforms, with 11.2% positive sentiments and 21.6% negative sentiments.

"Netizens generally believed the fireworks show primarily catered to mainland Chinese visitors who visited Hong Kong during the Labour Day 'golden week'. Some anticipated a smaller turnout for the forthcoming monthly shows,” said CARMA's HK general manager Charles Cheung. 

Several netizens, particularly those on online forum LIHKG, voiced their disappointment with the show, attributing it to the unfavourable weather conditions that led to a spectacle of smoke rather than the expected fireworks, he added.

Meanwhile, social monitoring firm Meltwater saw over 1.04k mentions regarding the fireworks show across social platforms since 30 April 2024, with 15.6% positive, 12% negative and 72.4% neutral sentiments. Keywords associated include "内地旅客" (mainland tourists), "字樣" (wording) and "如期舉行" (proceed as scheduled). 

A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE saw on Xiaohongshu that netizens have been sharing their opinions about the pyrotechnic display. While some expressed that the smoke was excessively thick, making it feel like a smoke performance (煙霧表演) rather than a fireworks display, others stated that fireworks shows during festivals are more impressive.

The HKTB said in a statement that the Labour Day marine pyrotechnic display concluded successfully while fostering a vibrant atmosphere in the city and stimulating local consumption.

Don’t miss: Labour Day pyrotechnic show at risk of cancellation due to rain

Apart from launching pyrotechnic display, the HKTB has also launched a dedicated “one-stop webpage for golden week offers and activities” to promote shopping, dining, attractions and hotel offers for visitors and locals with information on traffic arrangements, opening hours of major attractions.

The “Yau Tsim Mong Shopping Festival” initiated by the Yau Tsim Mong District Office and District Council will also start on 1 May. 

This comes as part of Hong Kong government's HK$1.1 billion investment to enhance the Hong Kong brand. The first drone show will add appeal to the city’s traditional festive celebrations on 11 May at the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade. Another two shows will be set up in June, with a drone display on 10 June and a pyrotechnic show on 15 June at Wan Chai. They come in line with the Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place on 10 June.

Join us this coming 26 June for Content360 Hong Kong, a one-day-two-streams extravaganza under the theme of "Content that captivates". Get together with our fellow marketers to learn about AI in content creation, integration of content with commerce and cross-border targeting, and find the recipe for success within the content marketing world!

Related articles:

Beyond fireworks and drone shows: How can HK get more bang for its buck with tourism?
Regular fireworks and drone shows in HK to debut in May
'Groups interested in sponsoring proposed fireworks show,' says HK's finance chief