Hundreds gathered in Hong Kong for the city's first pyrotechnics drone show

HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds gathered in Hong Kong on Saturday to watch the city’s first pyrotechnics drone show, as part of a campaign to raise support and awareness of panda conservation.

The 10-minute drone show featured 1,000 drones, some of which were equipped with fireworks, flying over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour and forming images of the city’s giant pandas.

During certain parts of the spectacle, some drones displayed fireworks, while hundreds of others formed a three-dimensional panda that slowly rotated in the sky.

Some eager spectators arrived hours before the show to ensure that they would get a good viewing spot.

Eddie Chow, a father who brought his two kids to the drone show, said such shows could attract more tourists to Hong Kong.

“I think the rundown was great, combining fireworks and drones is a very special theme, Hong Kong should have more of these activities,” said Chow, adding that Saturday’s spectacle was his first experience in watching a drone show.

Other spectators, such as Jodi Hung, a Hong Kong resident in her 20s, also praised the drone show as “great.”

“I think people who designed the drone show had very good technique, very amazing, they combined art and techniques together,” Hung said.

Hong Kong has launched a series of activities across the city in recent weeks –- including exhibitions and a panda-themed carnival -– after Beijing gifted Hong Kong with a pair of giant pandas, named An An and Ke Ke. The arrival of the pair takes the total number of giant pandas in Hong Kong to six, all of whom reside at the city’s Ocean Park, a theme park comprising amusement park rides and animal exhibits.

People watch the panda-themed drone show at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People watch the panda-themed drone show at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People watch the panda-themed drone show at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People watch the panda-themed drone show at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People watch the panda-themed drone show at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

People watch the panda-themed drone show at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Panda sculptures are displayed at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour during the panda-themed drone show in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Panda sculptures are displayed at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour during the panda-themed drone show in Hong Kong, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

NEW YORK (AP) — English actors Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton have welcomed their second child.

Hiddleston confirmed the news to GQ in a feature published Monday. He described birth as the “most beautiful, profound, earth-shattering, life-altering” experience. He did not share his child's birthday, but according to the feature, the interview took place in early December, and the birth was “just the other day.”

Hiddleston, 44, and Ashton, 41, first met while starring in a 2019 revival of the play “Betrayal.” They confirmed their engagement in 2022 and welcomed their first child later that year.

“Becoming a father is the most important and meaningful thing that's ever happened to me, and the most important thing I will ever do,” Hiddleston told The Associated Press earlier this year.

Both Hiddleston and Ashton were born in London. Hiddleston is best known for his portrayal of Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with the 2011 blockbuster “Thor” and continuing in the Disney+ series, “Loki.”

Ashton is also a member of the MCU, having portrayed Dar-Benn in the 2023 film “The Marvels.” She's also known for roles in “Fresh Meat,” “Not Safe for Work,” Netflix's “Velvet Buzzsaw” and other projects.

Representatives for Hiddleston and Ashton did not immediately reply to AP's request for comment.

FILE - Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton pose for photographers upon arrival at the Season 2 UK Premiere of The Night Manager in London, England, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Photo by Millie Turner/Invision/AP, File)