The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) lit up both sides of the Greater Bay Area on 18 February, sponsoring simultaneous fireworks in Victoria Harbour and a 1,200-drone pageant in Conghua, Guangzhou. Branded ‘Prosperity Gallops Across Hong Kong’, the 23-minute harbour display launched 31,888 shells, while the Conghua show beamed galloping-horse imagery above the racecourse that will host HKJC’s first Mainland racing season this October.
HKJC chairman Martin Liao said the dual event is part of a year-long campaign to elevate Hong Kong’s equine culture and attract mainland and overseas visitors. Tourism Board officials on-site told PR Newswire they expect the cross-border fireworks pairing to encourage two-centre itineraries combining Hong Kong shopping with Conghua hot-spring stays.
Travel agents are already bundling ‘Horse Year Passes’ that include high-speed-rail tickets from West Kowloon to Guangzhou East plus admission to the new Conghua races. The packages are eligible for the Individual Visit Scheme, simplifying visa formalities for residents of 49 Mainland cities.
![Hong Kong Jockey Club’s twin-city drone-and-firework show aims to draw tourists to Hong Kong and Conghua]()
To ease the paperwork behind those new travel patterns, VisaHQ can arrange visas and entry permits for both Hong Kong and Mainland China, steering applicants through the Individual Visit Scheme requirements and other nuances. Their dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers clear checklists, document pickup and return options, and status tracking—helpful for leisure travellers and corporate mobility teams alike.
For employers sending assignees to Hong Kong, the tie-in matters because it coincides with expanded cross-boundary coach services at HKIA’s new T2 Coach Hall, making same-day meetings in Guangzhou more feasible. Mobility managers should verify whether staff need separate travel insurance for Mainland legs and highlight that HKJC events can cause hotel surges on race weekends.
The campaign illustrates how cultural spectacles are being leveraged to deepen tourism flows within the Greater Bay Area, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as the international gateway while sharing economic dividends with nearby Guangdong cities.
HKJC chairman Martin Liao said the dual event is part of a year-long campaign to elevate Hong Kong’s equine culture and attract mainland and overseas visitors. Tourism Board officials on-site told PR Newswire they expect the cross-border fireworks pairing to encourage two-centre itineraries combining Hong Kong shopping with Conghua hot-spring stays.
Travel agents are already bundling ‘Horse Year Passes’ that include high-speed-rail tickets from West Kowloon to Guangzhou East plus admission to the new Conghua races. The packages are eligible for the Individual Visit Scheme, simplifying visa formalities for residents of 49 Mainland cities.
To ease the paperwork behind those new travel patterns, VisaHQ can arrange visas and entry permits for both Hong Kong and Mainland China, steering applicants through the Individual Visit Scheme requirements and other nuances. Their dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) offers clear checklists, document pickup and return options, and status tracking—helpful for leisure travellers and corporate mobility teams alike.
For employers sending assignees to Hong Kong, the tie-in matters because it coincides with expanded cross-boundary coach services at HKIA’s new T2 Coach Hall, making same-day meetings in Guangzhou more feasible. Mobility managers should verify whether staff need separate travel insurance for Mainland legs and highlight that HKJC events can cause hotel surges on race weekends.
The campaign illustrates how cultural spectacles are being leveraged to deepen tourism flows within the Greater Bay Area, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as the international gateway while sharing economic dividends with nearby Guangdong cities.
