Christmas Eve in Hong Kong 2013 香港平安夜

【Hong Kong Nostalgia】
On December 24 evening after dinner in Central Hong Kong, I was ready to go home. Out to the Queen's Road Central, there were increasing masses on the street. Police began to maintain order using long red tapes to control the direction of the moving crowd. I noticed that many people were flocking to Lan Kwai Fong for Christmas celebration, police was enforcing access control over the crowd in the area .

As it was Christmas Eve, I abandoned tunnel bus going home to Kowloon, I rather had strolled to Central Ferry Pier to Tsim Sha Tsui. I could also shoot some night photos all on my way. 

Over the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier, crowd gathered at the bus terminal but not even a bus was seen.  Street performance was in progress as music, singing and dancing were everywhere.  The atmosphere was so lively and hectic that more and more people gathered up. On Christmas Eve, police used to close all the streets near the Star Ferry Pier for crowd control. I had forgotten such a special arrangement after leaving Hong Kong for 25 years.   Anyhow, I had no choice but go with the crowd, and finally to the Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station for home. It was reported that there were 200,000 people on the street in Tsim Sha Tsui. This series of photos were taken using snapshot to capture the excitement of the people on the street.

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Photo Equipment:
Nikon D300s with DP-1 GPS
Nikon AF17-55mm f/2.8

Nikon Coolpix P7700 28-200mm f/2.8
Ricoh Digital GR3 28mm f/1.9
645 PRO for iPhone 5
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【香港情懷】
十二月廿四日晚，與友人在中環吃過晚飯後，準備回家。走出皇后大道中，看見街上群眾擠擁，警察在街口維持秩序，用長長的紅帶，控制人潮前進的方向。原來平安夜至，蘭桂坊將會萬人空巷，所以警方要預早控制人潮。

既然是平安夜，想看看街上遊人慶節的情景，所以我棄隧道巴士過九龍，徒歩走往中環碼頭，乘渡海小輪過尖沙咀，沿途也可拍攝夜景。

抵達尖沙咀天星碼頭，人潮洶湧，巴士總站全是人群，卻不見巴士的蹤影。祇見街頭到處都是慶節的表演活動，包括音樂演奏、歌唱和舞蹈，氣氛十分高漲熱烈。原來在平安夜，警方已將整個尖沙咀碼頭附近的街道封閉，並作人潮控制。我離開香港25年，已忘記了有這様的安排。我不得不隨著人群走，最後才到金馬倫道的尖沙咀地鐵站回家去。據報，當晚約有20萬人聚集尖沙咀街頭。這輯照片，主要用小型相機以抓拍的方式拍攝，捕捉了群眾迎接平夜的熱鬧情景。

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(Click photo for a larger view)

【Hong Kong Christmas Eve ● 香港平安夜】

1.  Police began to enforce access control over the crowd near Lan Kwai Fong in Central, Hong Kong.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/40s, ISO 200
在中環蘭桂坊附近，警方開始執行人潮控制。

2.  Running vehicles lighted up Connaught Road Central in Hong Kong.
Nikon D300s, 17-55mm, f/2.8 @20mm, f/10, 5 sec, ISO 200
飛馳的車輛，燈光劃過香港中環干諾道中。

3.  This photo of  the harbor nights was taken from the pedestrian bridge leading to the Central Ferry Pier.  I was glad to see the street lamp display a starlight to celebrate the coming of the Christmas Eve.
Nikon D300s, 17-55mm, f/2.8 @26mm, f/14, 2.5 sec, ISO 200
我走到通往中環碼頭的行人天橋，拍下中環夜景的照片。喜見其中之一的街燈，散發星芒，似乎在慶祝平安夜的來臨。

4.  A close shot of the leon light decoration.
Nikon D300s, 17-55mm, f/2.8 @55mm, f/3.2, 1/5s, ISO 200
近攝大廈外牆的霓虹彩燈裝飾。

5.  This night shot was taken from the Central Ferry Pier.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/9, 1.3 sec, ISO 200
從中環碼頭拍攝港島夜景

6.  Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Bell Tower are always the landmarks of Tsim Sha Tsui.
Nikon D300s, 17-55mm, f/2.8 @40mm, f/11, 1 sec, ISO 500
文化中心和鐘樓，都是尖沙咀夜景的地標。

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【Access Control ● 人潮管制】

7.  At 9pm, Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier was congested with millions of people.
645 PRO for iPhone @12mm, f/2.4, 1/15s, ISO 800
晚上九時，尖沙咀天星碼頭已聚集過萬的遊人。

8.  The pier was full of people attending outdoor celebration show.
645 PRO for iPhone @12mm, f/2.4, 1/20s, ISO 320
碼頭的遊人正在參與戶外的慶祝會。

9.  Police set up banners to direct the crowd to move forward in one direction.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/8s, ISO 200
警方䜿立標語，指導群眾朝單一方向前進。

10.  Flood of people was led by the police to move toward the Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/6s, ISO 200
警方指導遊人朝尖沙咀海運大廈前進。

11.  There was no bus here to take me home. The bus terminal was temporarily moved to East Tsim Sha Tsui！
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/5.6, 1 sec, ISO 200
我走到這裡，找不得公車回家，原來車站臨時遷往尖沙咀東！

12.  Though the image is a bit blurred, the crowd was attracted by her attentive performance.
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @40mm, f/3.5, 1 sec, ISO 800
雖然畫面有點模糊，但她投入的演唱仍具吸引力。

13.  The crowd continued to move towards Star Ferry Pier.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/10s, ISO 200
行人相繼朝天星碼頭前進。

14.  The other side of the street was closed for access control.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/8s, ISO 200
另一邊的道路已封閉，以控制人潮。

15.  Police advised pedestrians not to stay but continue to move forward.  I was advised by the police to take subway instead of bus.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/30s, ISO 200
警方勸籲行人不要逗留，要繼續前進。這幾位警察建議我乘塔地鐵，比巴士較為方便。

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【Christmas Excitement ● 聖誕歡騰】

16.  I merely followed the crowd along Canton Road to get to the nearest entrance to the MTR station.  The landmark of the Tsim Sha Tsui bell tower was seen in far distance.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/13s, ISO 200
我不得不隨着人潮走到廣東道，往最近的地鉄站入口前進。遠處是尖沙咀鐘樓地標。

17.  People flocked to Canton Road for celebration.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/17s, ISO 200
群眾趕往廣東道，參加將要舉行的露天慶祝表演。

18.  They seem to appreciate the window fashion more.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/90s, ISO 200
這對遊人似乎對展示的時裝更感興趣。

19.  The crowd was directed to the only MTR exit of the Tsim Sha Tsui Station.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/12s, ISO 200
羣眾依指示走到惟一的尖沙咀地鐵站入口。

20.  The crow turned to Hoi Phong Road.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/30s, ISO 200
人潮轉向海防道。

21.  People finally arrived at the only MTR exit on Cameron Road as all the other MTR exits were closed.
Ricoh Digital GR3 @28mm, f/1.9, 1/18s, ISO 200
群眾最後抵達金馬輪道的唯一地鐵站人口，其他的入口已被封閉。

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