Wed Dec 31 08:46:03 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text followed by a rewritten news article:

Summary:

Hong Kong will not have its usual New Year’s Eve fireworks display due to a devastating fire in late November that killed over 160 people. Instead, the city will host a music show and light show countdown. The cancellation is out of respect for the victims and reflects past instances where tragedies led to the postponement of celebratory pyrotechnics. The article also includes historical context about the origin of fireworks in China.

News Article:

Hong Kong Cancels New Year’s Fireworks Display After Deadly Fire

HONG KONG – Hong Kong will usher in 2026 without its traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacle over Victoria Harbour. The cancellation comes in the wake of a devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po last November, which claimed the lives of at least 161 people.

Instead of fireworks, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will host a music show featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other artists in the Central business district. The facades of eight prominent landmarks will also be transformed into giant countdown clocks, culminating in a three-minute light show at midnight.

“We recognize that not having the fireworks will impact some businesses,” said Rosanna Law, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. However, the decision was made out of respect for the victims and their families following the tragedy, which is the city’s worst blaze since 1948.

Authorities have identified substandard netting and foam boards used during ongoing renovations at Wang Fuk Court as contributing factors to the fire’s rapid spread. Thousands of residents displaced by the fire are currently in transitional housing.

This isn’t the first time Hong Kong has canceled fireworks displays due to tragedies. Previous postponements occurred after a vessel collision in 2012 and a bus crash in 2018. Displays were also scrapped during the 2019 anti-government protests and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fireworks have ancient origins in China, where bamboo stalks thrown into fire created loud bangs. Monks then put gunpowder in bamboo.

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