国内英语新闻:Hong Kong celebrates Year of Tiger with fireworks

HONG KONG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Over 20,000 people gathered on both sides of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor to watch a 23-minute firework show Monday evening, as the city is unwrapping various festive activities to celebrate the year of the Tiger.

The show began at 8 pm local time (1200 GMT) despite heavy fog and light showers.

Spectators cheered and shouted as the Arabic number "eight" appeared in the sky, followed by patterns resembling fish. Fireworks designers explained that the number eight shares the same pronunciation with the word "Fa" which means striking gold while the word "fish" sounds the same with "surplus" in Cantonese.

For Hong Kong residents who tend to believe that lucky signs and lucky-sounding words do actually bring in luck, they are delighted at the show, which also include patters similar to the shape of the Chinese traditional gold ingot and red Chinese character "Ji" which means auspiciousness.

The Lunar New Year firework show has become an annual event since it lit up the sky above the Victoria Harbor for the first time during the Lunar New Year in 1982.

Sponsors of the event said this year's extravaganza costs more that 3 million HK dollars (about 400,000 U.S. dollars ), but they insist the expenditure worthwhile as it brings laughter and joy to Hong Kong citizens at the begining of a new year.