HỒNG KONG
As 1999 passed into history, Hong Kong welcomed the Year 2000 with a rousing Millennium Extravaganza held at the Happy Valley Racecourse. The four-hour programme from 10.30 pm on December 31 featured dragon dances, a food bazaar, performances by concert artists, a countdown led by senior officials, and a fireworks display (above) which was followed by a Millennium Cup horse race and a lucky draw. A 280-metre-long 'dragon lantern', lit up by nearly 20 000 light bulbs and billed as the largest dragon lantern ever made, dominated the centre-field.