Large crowds of visitors and locals flocked to the Wan Chai waterfront on Saturday for the first in a series of spectacular drone shows put on by the Tourism Board.

About one thousand drones took flight at 8pm for the ten-minute spectacular, which is designed to tie in with the Buddha's Birthday public holiday and the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, both of which fall on Wednesday.

The drones soared up to sixty metres into the air, creating a pattern in the shape of the famous bun hill which is the centrepiece of the Cheung Chau festival's highlight, the bun-scrambling competition. They also formed the shape of what organisers called a "giant peaceful bun" some 30 metres in diameter.

Many of the spectators captured the moment on their smartphones and cameras.

Other shapes adopted included lions and temples to signify good luck.

And visitors to the show were also in luck: for those waiting to enjoy the drones, there was free ice cream at the Wan Chai Ferry Pier.