Wellington: The revellers across the Asia-Pacific region welcomed 2018, as they bid adieu to 2017, with glittering New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Samoa and New Zealand were the first countries to welcome the New Year earlier, followed by other small islands across the Pacific. Multi-coloured fireworks exploded across the city skyline at midnight as thousands of cheering revellers rang in the New Year in Auckland.
In Australia, revellers welcomed 2018 with a rainbow-themed fireworks at the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, while in Japan, people of Tokyo released hundreds of white balloons into the night sky and organised a music show. In North and South Korea, firework display and cultural shows were held to usher in the New Year.
Elsewhere, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and other South-East Asian countries were the next to flip over their calendars.
In China, firework displays were held in cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou to name a few. In Hong Kong, glittering firework displays were organised and exploded over Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. (ANI)