The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront was already crowded by about 3pm, with residents and visitors reserving places for the 8pm National Day fireworks. Some arrived nearly five hours early, while a photography enthusiast told HK01 he had reached the harbour seven hours ahead to set up his tripod.
Those preparing for the long wait brought chairs, mats, fans, umbrellas and other items to protect themselves from the sun. As the display approached, the crowd became increasingly congested, with people moving through the waterfront in close quarters. Police introduced crowd-control measures and closed parts of the waterfront area.
The display lasted 23 minutes and released 31,888 fireworks in eight sections. Police expected about 260,000 people to watch from both sides of Victoria Harbour.
A restaurant in West Kowloon Cultural District told i-CABLE News that National Day bookings were more than 10% higher than last year. Its fireworks menus ranged from HK$968 per person to HK$15,888 for 12 people, and its window seats had sold out two weeks before National Day.