HONG KONG – As Hong Kong seeks to refresh its tourism offerings, one of its bold moves is to scrap its iconic Symphony of Lights along the Tsim Sha Tsui harbour front.
The 10-minute daily sound and light show set against the city’s striking night-time skyline has played an integral role in its tourism landscape since 2004, long featuring on lists of first-time visitors.
But “the technology and way of presentation (of the Symphony of Lights) has come to a point where it is no longer novel”, Ms Rosanna Law, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, told The Straits Times.
In February 2025, three months after Ms Law was appointed tourism minister, ST, in a special feature, compared the light show with a similar display in the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.
The Hong Kong show appeared to pale in comparison to its neighbour’s flashier, more sophisticated display, the report said.
As recently as 2024, the authorities were still planning a HK$354 million (S$57.5 million) three-year revamp of the Symphony of Lights.
Then in February, they said it would be axed altogether in 2026.
“Instead of spending a significant sum of money to upgrade it yet another time, we decided to do something entirely different,” said Ms Law, whom Chief Executive John Lee has previously praised for her “reform-mindedness”.
“We have to keep enriching our tourism offerings,” she added.
Replacing the Symphony of Lights will be new, updated light shows spread out across Hong Kong’s top tourist hot spots.
She said the first among these displays will be on the Peak – another sightseeing spot that showcases the city’s iconic skyline. “If you are a first-time visitor to Hong Kong, you definitely will want a trip on the Peak Tram to the Peak. But if it is your second or even third time, you may not want to go again as you’ve already seen it,” she said.
“We need to give tourists a new reason to go to the Peak and the light show is part of that answer,” she added.
A crowd awaiting sunset on the sky terrace at the Peak in October 2025. The terrace is Hong Kong’s highest viewing platform, offering a stunning 360-degree view of the city’s striking skyline.
ST PHOTO: MAGDALENE FUNG
Details of the Peak’s new light show will be made available “around the middle of the year”, she said. The first show is expected to take place in May or June, according to a document submitted by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to the Legislative Council on April 14.
Other festive-themed immersive light displays may be held across tourist areas such as Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui to attract visitors to stay out late.
The historic Peak Tram – Asia’s first funicular railway that dates back to 1888, running 1.3km along a scenic route from its Central terminus up the Peak – was reopened in 2022 in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic after a year-long upgrading and renovation works.
The new tramcars feature large skylights, wider windows, increased capacity to seat more than 200 people, and spaces and safety belts for wheelchairs and prams.
The Peak Tram has a snazzy new look, but a ticket on the tourist staple now costs significantly more than it did before its revamp.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD
Standard adult return tickets now cost HK$116, more than twice the HK$52 before the revamp. Entry to the Peak’s sky terrace, with 360-degree unobstructed views of the city’s skyscrapers, costs HK$80.
Drawing more return visitors to the Peak for a new light show – in particular via its paid sky terrace access and its refreshed albeit costlier tram experience – will help Hong Kong maximise its tourist dollar.
The Symphony of Lights along the Tsim Sha Tsui harbour front is free, while visitors can also view the display on paid harbour cruises.
For tourists visiting the Peak by tram, Ms Law gives one tip: “When the tram goes down from the Peak, try to grab a seat in the front row. The view will be interesting.”
