Excited crowds pose with lengthy red chains of firecrackers hoisted on towering tripods along Macau's waterfront, revelling in the final hours of the Lunar New Year holiday before igniting the fuses.

The rapid-fire detonations create a constant, thunderous roar over swathes of the Chinese territory's shoreline during the raucous celebration, the last of six nights when fireworks are allowed.

The former Portuguese colony strictly controls the sale and lighting of the explosives, and the annual holiday ritual -- limited to two designated zones -- is the last remaining trace of Macau's once-prominent position in the global firecracker trade.