2010 started with a bang for thousands of people in Sydney.

The Australian city put on a spectacular firework show to celebrate the New Year – lighting up the sky and the harbour bay area in a display described as the best since Sydney hosted the Olympic Games.

Three hours later Hong Kong was not to be outdone as thousands crammed onto the waterfront to see several of the city’s skyscrapers sprout plumes of coloured flames and smoke after a mass countdown to midnight.

And there were similar scenes in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei where the former world’s tallest building, the Taipei 101 was the centre of another spectacular show.

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