Hong Kong will ring in the Year of the Horse with a vibrant fireworks display over Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Lunar New Year next month that will be capped by a shower of symbolic blessings for city and country, organisers said on Friday. The 23-minute display, scheduled for 8pm on February 18, will unfold across eight scenes using 31,888 pyrotechnic shells. Organisers said the spectacle will open with a dense burst to bid farewell to the old year and conclude with crown-shaped fireworks, symbolising national prosperity and universal good fortune. A key theme of this year’s display is the horse itself, according to Wilson Mao, chief executive of Pyromagic Multimedia Productions. He said the show would feature patterns of golden ingots and horseshoes – traditional symbols of wealth and luck – to express wishes for happiness and success as the city gallops into the new year. Mao said the heart of the show would lie in its second, third, and fourth scenes. "We have many many symbolic icons that are horse related and Chinese New Year related, such as number eight. "The number eight also [symbolises] infinity. Horse has infinity potential," he said, giving a hint of what's up for the second burst of fireworks. The third will launch horseshoe-shaped fireworks, evoking the thrill of horse racing that drives many people in Hong Kong. The fourth burst will illuminate the sky with the Chinese character for "good fortune", conveying auspicious wishes and reflecting the city’s strength and optimism. Mao said spectators could enhance their experience by tuning in to RTHK Radio 4 for a synchronised musical accompaniment. The display, he said, is estimated to cost more than HK$19 million.