Festive events, such as countdown parties, performance galas and interactive community installations, lit up the New Year celebrations in Macao Special Administrative Region.

At the Sai Van Lake Square and the Taipa Houses Museum, crowds gathered on New Year's Eve for songs and performances by local and international musicians alike, cheering "Happy New Year!" as fireworks blossomed over the landmark Macao Tower at midnight.

The New Year countdown gig, staged for the seventh time in Macao by Jiangsu Satellite Television, again saw pop stars from home and abroad elicit screams and thunderous applause from fans.

"To me, Macao has truly lived up to its reputation as a city of performances," says a college student surnamed Sun from southwest China's Chongqing municipality who came to Macao specifically for the shows.

During the three-day New Year holiday, tourists from home and abroad flocked into Macao for its festive welcome, with long queues emerging at border ports between Macao and its neighboring mainland city of Zhuhai.

Data from the Macao Government Tourism Office shows visitor arrivals in Macao on New Year's Eve reached 175,030, a record high daily number since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Total visitor arrivals in 2023 reached 2.23 million, recovering to around 70 percent of the 2019 level.