Wow event in the sky

Stacy Shi and Rachael Ng

Thousands flocked to the Wan Chai harborfront at 8 o'clock last night to enjoy the drone show that lit up the sky in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Against the backdrop of the Victoria Harbour, 1,000 drones weaved intricate and dynamic patterns to bolster the festive ambience.

The show featured a dragon boat festival theme and used drones to resemble adorable cartoon rice dumplings, dragon boat races, flying dragons and other festival moments.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board also arranged free ice cream to be distributed before the show.

A group of international students from Indonesia and the Philippines praised the government's promotion efforts as they saw "a mix of mainlanders, Westerners and locals joining the event."

But the increased traveler flow did not boost business for nearby catering outlets, some of which did not open or saw turnover drop by 20 to 40 percent.

Another pyrotechnics display will take place on June 15 during the International Dragon Boat Races.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung were also at the harborfront to appreciate the show.