Crowds began building up at about 10am on The Peak and at Sha Tin’s Che Kung Temple, with authorities later reporting that footfall at the High Island Reservoir’s East Dam, a popular tourist spot, in Sai Kung ranged between 500 and 999 visitors from around noon to 4pm.

From 4.30pm, people had to wait at least an hour for a return trip for the cable car and Peak Tram services.

All cross-harbour ferry services were also busy, with passengers waiting at least half an hour to board. The Tsim Sha Tsui to Central route was the busiest for most of the day.

In Central, long queues of mainland Chinese and overseas tourists wound around the underpass next to The Peak Tram terminus, where police officers were on hand to manage the crowds from Garden Road.