Saturday 1 January 2011

Hong Kong Fireworks, 1/1/11 !


Eight hours ago it was midnight in Hong Kong and this is how they celebrated! By standards of previous years this is pretty sedate (the economy's hurting) but it's also classier and more elegant. Even the 30 metre high Xmas tree in the city centre decorated with Swarovski crystals is pretty understated. If 20 million Swarowski crystals can be discreet, but it's more "designer" than usual.  Which itself is very style-conscious Hong Kong. Puts everywhere else to shame, though Sydney's done a great retro 2000 display. Learn how to countdown in Cantonese and shout Sun Nin Fai Lok! In Hong Kong individual fireworks were banned from 1967 but it's still a good idea because in crowded small spaces, there'd be mayhem. Traditionally, you set off ropes of firecrackers to chase away the bad, but in modern apartment blocks it would bring bad, like broken windows, fires, injuries etc. So instead, massive, elaborate community party, several million people in the street having fun even if they can't see a thing.

3 comments:

jade said...

Ah, Hong Kong...always reminds me of Eileen Chang's "Love in a Fallen City."

The kantele in the hymn Hynninen sings is enchanting.

Shin Nien Kwai Leh! (Mandarin Chinese)

Doundou Tchil said...

I love Eileen Chang who is buried near my grandfather. Her books are at last systematically being translated into English, new one out soon. I'll write more.

jade said...

Interesting! Buried in Hong Kong or Los Angeles? The popular belief is that, in her will, Chang asked to be cremated and have her ashes spread over the Pacific Ocean.

Yes, her books surely deserve to be translated into different languages. Is the upcoming one that you mentioned "The Book of Change"? She wrote it in English though.