{
  "id": 10595789,
  "title": "5 things to do over the National Day ‘golden week’ holiday in Hong Kong",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/5-things-to-do-over-the-national-day-golden-week-holiday-in-hong-kong",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T03:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post-hong-kong",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3369123/5-things-do-over-national-day-golden-week-holiday-hong-kong"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "1. Fireworks at Victoria Harbour: Locals and tourists alike are eagerly anticipating the National Day fireworks display along Victoria Harbour on October 1. Spanning 23 minutes, the event is themed \"Eternal Radian\" and involves 31,888 pyrotechnic shells launched from nine firing points. Sites along the harbour, including nine barges and six floating pontoons, will light up the night sky, with some users particularly excited about the fourth and fifth sections featuring \"Dreams in the Starry Galaxy\" and \"Love at Home.\" The spectacle is expected to cost HK$18 million.\n\n2. Retreat into nature on Po Pin Chau: Nature enthusiasts have a chance to explore Hong Kong's countryside during the National Day \"golden week.\" The Po Pin Chau section of the High Island Geo Trail in Sai Kung has become a popular destination among hikers. Described as a \"world-class geological wonder\" with spectacular hexagonal rock columns, visitors should be aware that the government has introduced a reservation system to manage the influx of outdoor enthusiasts. The trial system, launched in August, allows 2,000 daily visitors on selected dates, with an average of 2,360 reservations made each day during the Mid-Autumn Festival extended weekend.\n\n3. National Day Race Day: Horse racing enthusiasts can look forward to celebratory races at the Sha Tin racecourse on October 1. The Hong Kong Jockey Club will host the event, with free public enclosure entry from 11am onwards. The first race will begin at 1pm, featuring some of Hong Kong racing's best sprinters, including Raging Blizzard, Tomodachi Kokoroe, and Beauty Waves. The highlight of the day will be the G3 National Day Cup Handicap, with its HK$4.2 million prize fund. The opening ceremony will also feature a collaboration by \"China's three tenors\" - Dai Yuqiang, Warren Mok, and Wei Song - marking their first-ever joint performance of classic songs.\n\n4. Extended Mid-Autumn lanterns show: Visitors arriving for National Day will catch the tail end of the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival 2026 at Victoria Park, which is set to run until October 4. Themed \"A Delightful Journey through the Lantern Garden,\" this year's event has been extended by a week. Featuring lanterns depicting local delicacies, a corridor of heart-shaped arches showcasing scenes of daily life in Hong Kong, and paper-crafted lantern displays of rabbits embracing a giant moon, the lantern carnival promises a delightful experience for all ages.",
  "summary": "Hong Kong is set to welcome 1.29 million mainland Chinese visitors over the National Day “golden week” break, fuelling questions online about what locals and tourists can do during the celebrations. On popular mainland social media platform RedNote, many users have recommended a range of activities, such as visiting the countryside, exploring the Unesco Global Geopark in Sai Kung, cycling and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
        "title": "Can Hong Kong protect its eco-sensitive sites amid ‘golden week’ overtourism fears?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/can-hong-kong-protect-its-eco-sensitive-sites-amid-golden-week",
        "published": "2026-09-29T00:30:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}