On the first day of the Chinese New Year, February 17, the skyline of Guangzhou was once again illuminated by thousands of dazzling fireworks.
More than 150,000 fireworks lit up the night sky above the Pearl River, transforming the city into a sea of color and light. The show was not only about pyrotechnics—a spectacular drone performance unfolded overhead, blending technology and artistry into a synchronized celebration.
"It was very beautiful, especially the drone show in the beginning," said Tobi, a tourist from Switzerland. "Then the fireworks—I liked them a lot. The end was very nice. A lot of sound, a lot of fireworks—it was quite amazing."
For many international visitors, the scale of Guangzhou's Spring Festival fireworks is unlike anything they have experienced before.
"In Switzerland we also have fireworks where we live," another attendee noted, "but it's never as massive for 30 minutes like this. It's usually much smaller scale. This whole show is much more impressive."
The sky was dazzling, but it was the closeness of families and friends that gave the night its real glow.
Among the crowd was Miss Lin, a Guangzhou resident who arrived with her mother at 1 p.m.—seven hours before the show began—just to secure a front-row view. "The very last part, when the whole sky was completely lit up, it was amazing," she said. "And they even did an encore—the colorful clouds from last year appeared again. I really loved it."
For her, attending the fireworks has become an annual tradition. She watched from the same area last year, and from Zhou Tou Zui Park the year before that.
As fireworks burst above them, couples, families and friends stood shoulder to shoulder along the riverbank. At one point, when asked what they want to say to each other for the new year, one young couple simply replied: "I love you." "I love you too. " The exchange was simple, spontaneous—and perhaps more powerful than the fireworks themselves.
The fireworks disappeared in minutes. The smoke drifted away. But the memories created with family, with friends will last far longer than the light in the sky. And perhaps that is what Spring Festival is truly about.
Reporter: Li Fangwang
Video&Cover&Photo: Pan Jiajun
