Hong Kong residents celebrated the National Day on Tuesday, as the city rolled out over 400 celebratory events, including fireworks display, discounted public transportation, and various performances.

In areas such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay, vibrant national and regional flags were seen fluttering in the wind. Many residents and tourists stopped to take photos to capture memories of the festival.

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The Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront was abuzz with local residents and tourists eager to be a part of the festivities.

Kwan Mei-fung, a local company employee in her 50s, went out to celebrate with her husband and their 5-year-old granddaughter.

Kwan’s granddaughter was impressed by the sea of national flags hanging everywhere when passing by the government headquarters in Admiralty. Noting the strong festive vibe, Kwan said the public transportation discounts for residents on this day added to the joy of the festival, too.

Kwan came to Tsim Sha Tsui early in a bid to grab a spot for a better view of the National Day fireworks display at Victoria Harbour, which featured a panda-themed drone show for the first time.

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Noting that Hong Kong has been gradually recovering in recent years, Kwan expressed hopes for her granddaughter to grow up in a safer and more stable Hong Kong society.

This year, over 185,000 National Day decorations are across Hong Kong, the most ever. The decorations include national and regional flags, large banners and stickers, and lamppost flags.

A variety of vibrant events were planned as well to mark the occasion.

This year’s National Day fireworks display took place over Victoria Harbour at 9 pm on Tuesday. The 23-minute show, themed “Welcoming the National Treasure Panda”, featured patterns like “green bamboo leaves,” symbolizing the arrival of the giant pandas to Ocean Park Hong Kong.

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For the first time, the fireworks display included a prelude, with hundreds of drones forming patterns such as “panda” and “75” in the sky over Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong’s community groups also organized a variety of National Day celebrations, with hosting street fairs, traditional performances, and art exhibitions, fostering a festive atmosphere.

Also eying the fireworks feast on Tuesday night was Chan Mung-lam, an IT company employee in her 30s, who said she planned to go to the West Kowloon Cultural District to watch the fireworks display after shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui.

She thinks it’s great to have a public holiday on National Day, allowing everyone to go out and experience the festive atmosphere firsthand.

Extending wishes for the city and the country to become better and better, Chan said she and her husband will continue to fight for the city she grew up in, just like her parents, who possessed the perseverance that many Hong Kong residents hold.

Alex, who works in the financial industry in Hong Kong and is from the UK, chose to spend his National Day holiday by dining with his friend in Tsim Sha Tsui.

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A resident of the city for three years, he expressed his appreciation for this international seaside city, adding that he is happy to see Hong Kong becoming safer and more stable.

In any case, a stable society is important for everyone’s development and for Hong Kong’s future, he told China Daily.

In contrast to experiencing the holiday as onlookers, some residents opted to be part of the celebratory events. Xue Lung-yi, a Form Four student at Lai Chack Middle School, joined her classmates to sing a song to mark the day at a celebratory event featuring exhibitions and performances in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Extending her wishes for the country to prosper, Xue expressed hopes for Hong Kong to progress together, with the nation’s support.

The city’s strong festivity and a wide variety of activities also drew many tourists from the Chinese mainland, as the weeklong National Day holiday kicked off on Tuesday on the mainland.

Shen Qun, a tourist from Guangzhou, brought her son and the elderly in the family to Hong Kong on Tuesday.

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Praising Hong Kong’s strong festivity with the celebrations and a sea of decorations, Shen said her family looked forward to the fireworks display on Tuesday night.

Noting the closer bonding between the mainland and Hong Kong, Shen, a frequent visitor to the city, expressed optimism in the city’s future. Shen’s family will visit Macao after Hong Kong.

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