Hong Kong's all singing, all dancing Mong Kok pedestrian zone finally shuts down

The Mong Kok pedestrian zone was first introduced in 2000 to ease traffic - the brightly-lit thoroughfare in the heart of Kowloon was made vehicle-free during weekday evenings and most of the weekends. Over the years, it became a magnet for singers, dancers, photographers, artists, trinket sellers, fortune tellers, acrobats and magicians.

In 2013, the government made the pedestrian zone weekends-only, but the complaints continued. After years of debate, the Yau Tsim Mong District Council voted in May to shut down the zone entirely and the decision was made official earlier this month.