On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Victoria Harbour was already filled with eagerly anticipated crowds on both sides of the strait. As 31888 fireworks rose from the barges and floating boats, the flowing light reflected on the sea surface complemented the lights of the buildings on both sides. This fireworks display, which arrived as scheduled, is a "reserved program" for Hong Kong to celebrate the Spring Festival. Tens of thousands of spectators rushed from all directions, crowded on both sides of Victoria Harbour, waiting, cheering, and exchanging blessings. During festive occasions such as National Day, New Year's Day, and Spring Festival, the night sky of Victoria Harbour is always brighter due to fireworks, which have already become the shining city card of Hong Kong. In the eyes of fireworks designer Mao Weicheng, fireworks are not just dazzling in an instant, but also a symbol of emotional connection, cultural expression, and vitality of a city. "Fireworks are like a bonfire, attracting people from all directions, coming towards light and gathering towards warmth. 64 year old Mao Weicheng grew up in a fireworks family. Grandpa Mao Peiqiao is a Malaysian overseas Chinese with ancestral roots in Dongguan. In 1953, he founded "Hejixing" in Hong Kong and sold fireworks to various parts of Southeast Asia. His father, Mao Hao, was the first Chinese to introduce a large-scale fireworks show to Hong Kong. As early as the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1966, the Mao family had let fireworks bloom in the night sky of Hong Kong. In 1989, Mao Weicheng officially joined "Hejixing" and established a fireworks production company five years later. Fireworks bloomed over Victoria Harbour, with the city skyline in the background, making it the most unique stage. ”Mao Weicheng incorporated this advantage into his design philosophy of "city wide participation": a fireworks display not only utilizes barges and floating boats on the sea, but also incorporates buildings on both sides of the strait as part of the performance. The unique temperament of Victoria Harbour and the scattered "visual anchors" in the city are cleverly linked together to create an unforgettable feast of light and shadow. In April 1997, when the Tsing Ma Bridge connecting Hong Kong International Airport and the city was opened, a golden fireworks waterfall flowed down from the bridge, leaving a deep impression on countless Hong Kong citizens and becoming a crucial step in Mao Weicheng's career. He recalled that at that time, no one in Hong Kong had ever made such a large-scale waterfall fireworks, and the team couldn't even find a suitable testing tower. After two field trials, a waterfall style fireworks display measuring approximately 1177 meters in length and lasting for one minute was finally allowed to fall on the Qingma Bridge. That night's success not only lit up the night sky of Hong Kong, but also illuminated his belief in his heart: fireworks designed in Hong Kong can go further into the world. The Mao Weicheng team has been producing almost all fireworks displays held over Victoria Harbour since 1998, responsible for the entire process from design, installation to setting off. In fireworks design, Mao Weicheng incorporates many cultural symbols: he connects the natural imagery of "green bamboo leaves" with the citizens' love for giant pandas, conveys the auspicious atmosphere of the Lunar New Year with symmetrical and full "good luck" characters, and allows the traditional shape of "golden ingots" to carry rich modern blessings... These visual symbols are rooted in cultural traditions and shine with contemporary aesthetics, with every detail reflecting ingenuity and warmth. The audience loves to see patterns, and we particularly focus on symmetrical design. ”He explained that symmetrical shapes such as "Zhong", "Jin Yuanbao", and "Ji" have a complete and unified effect when viewed on either side of Victoria Harbour, even if reversed, maintaining the beauty of balance. In recent years, the team has also attempted to launch more complex patterns from the surface of barges, such as the letters "WIN", which have been well received by audiences. In the Hong Kong New Year's Eve fireworks display from 2024 to 2025, the first display of the "Colorful Lucky Clouds" fireworks became another stunning breakthrough. The colored smoke itself is not bright, it needs shiny light beads to illuminate. This effect has never been tried before in Hong Kong, "said Mao Weicheng. In addition to the colors of the fireworks, the team also used the lights of surrounding buildings to illuminate the colored clouds and enhance their three-dimensional effect. This innovation not only demonstrates technological breakthroughs, but also gives modern expression to the traditional cultural image of "auspicious clouds". This year's Spring Festival fireworks display took about 3 months from design to launch, with installation and debugging taking about 10 days. This year, there are 3 barges and 6 floating boats, and the installation process is complex. We also need to deal with weather changes and conduct circuit testing to ensure that everything goes smoothly. When asked which stage of preparing for the fireworks display is the most difficult, Mao Weicheng admitted that the most dangerous and challenging is the fireworks themselves. From production, transportation, customs declaration to installation and setting off, every stage must strictly comply with regulations and not be compromised. Outside of Victoria Harbour, Mao Weicheng also brought Hong Kong designed fireworks to the world stage. He has led teams to participate in international fireworks competitions in France, Spain, and other places, winning numerous awards. In an international competition, Mao Weicheng presented a magnificent picture of cultural integration and the unity of the world, which deeply moved the judges. Standing on the world stage, I want to tell the story of China well, "said Mao Weicheng. In that competition, the team won the runner up and fireworks became the language of cross-cultural communication. Mao Weicheng's cooperation with the mainland is becoming increasingly close, and he often purchases products from Liuyang, Hunan, known as the "hometown of fireworks". Mainland counterparts drew inspiration from Mao Weicheng's pattern aesthetics, and he also absorbed the mature "aerial writing" technology in mainland China; The words "HK" and other designs created by Mao Weicheng for Hong Kong were quickly incorporated into his new creations by his mainland counterparts... In the future, Mao Weicheng plans to continue to bring Hong Kong designed fireworks to international competitions, using Hong Kong's new landmark elements to express his creativity. He is also exploring new technologies and forms, such as using drones to present a technological fireworks display. Having worked in the industry for nearly 40 years, Mao Weicheng has grown alongside the skyline of Victoria Harbour and has a deep understanding of the light and shadow scales of buildings on both sides of the strait. If a fireworks display depicts the future of Hong Kong, of course, there should be patterns such as Bauhinia flowers, the word 'HK', smiling faces, etc. ”Mao Weicheng said that music is equally important, and the melody of "Ode to the Return" should be integrated into the rhythm of fireworks, so that the world can see the smile of Hong Kong. The tide rises and falls, buildings are updated, and the fireworks launch ship of the Mao family enters the sea year after year. Three generations, one year old, the fireworks on the ship continue to take off... (New Press)