The government has decided not to proceed with a lighting project on Hong Kong's Peak, which had faced opposition from residents. According to a submission by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the Tourism Commission to the Central and Western District Council, the installations will be removed as soon as possible, with the site restored to its original condition. Minister of Tourism Rosanna Law explained that only partial work had been carried out and few resources were used, stating these were resources originally allocated to the HKTB. Law also noted that the light fittings could be reused in other HKTB projects. To address public concerns, the government and HKTB held site visits with lawmakers and district councillors, exploring various enhancement measures. For example, the number of scenic spots along the trail was to be reduced from 10 to seven, with a shorter project duration of the end of February, and the number of trees used for hanging light fittings was planned to be cut by more than half to 24. However, the government acknowledged that even with these adjustments, the design concept and lighting effect might not fully be realized, potentially compromising the overall experience and making it harder to achieve the project's goal of encouraging revisits and longer stays.
Despite the adjustments, the government was concerned that the scaled-down project could struggle to meet its expectations of infusing traditional attractions with new elements to attract more tourists. The residents' opposition stemmed from concerns over environmental impact and visual clutter, issues that the government and HKTB had to carefully navigate. The project, originally planned around Lugard and Harlech roads on the Peak, intended to create small-scale lighting installations along a walking trail. The decision to terminate the project reflects ongoing tensions between modern developments and local and environmental concerns in Hong Kong.