Sky lanterns

I watch News at Pearl everyday.  I hope that wide reading and watching can increase my narrow vocabulary.  

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival.  I leaning a new words “sky lanterns”.  Let’s check something about sky lanterns to share with you all.

In several parks in the New Territories, people let off sky lanterns to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.  The skies above Fanling were lit up with an array of colours.

Sky lanterns are also known as Kongming lanterns.  While popular in Taiwan and Thailand for many years, this activity only recently started to catch on in Hong Kong.
As sky lanterns contain a flame, there is the danger that they can cause a fire when landing on flammable ground.  They can achieve quite a height and launching them in strong winds is not recommended. After the balloon lands, the leftover thin wire frame may present a hazard to any animal tempted to swallow it.

According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, it is an offence to light a fire illegally or release a sky lantern in country parks or the open countryside.  Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 dollars and a one-year jail term.

To protect the environment please does not release sky lanterns.  If sky lanterns landing in countryside it will cause fire and destroy the environment.