Olympics to play starring role in fireworks show over harbour

Olympic colours, the voice of Luciano Pavarotti and Harry Potter's scar will feature in the National Day fireworks display next month.

Of the 10 fireworks sessions to be shown on the night of October 1, three will be dedicated to the theme of the Olympic Games.

The eighth session, titled 'We Are Ready', will display three patterns with a horizontally rotated figure 8 encircled by the number 0, representing the year 2008, in which the Beijing Olympics will be held. The song We Are Ready, composed by Hong Kong songwriter Peter Kam Pui-tat for the Games, will be played as background music.

The two other Games-themed displays, 'Olympic Spirit' and 'Everyone Is Number One', will highlight the spirit of sportsmanship.

Spectators will hear the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony finale Nessun Dorma, sung by Italian tenor Pavarotti, who died last week, and the Putonghua pop song Everyone Is Number One, sung by Andy Lau Tak-wah.

The producer of the fireworks, Wilson Mao Wai-shing, said the design of this year's display was more difficult than in the past because of a government safety restriction on the amount of gunpowder used.

The total weight of gunpowder has been cut from the 4,500kg last year to 3,500kg, a reduction Mr Mao said might weaken the effects of the fireworks.