The older lights can be quite expensive to maintain. They're also quite heavy and safety has become a growing concern as many of these billboards start to show their age.
Even with the growing popularity of LED over neon lights, there have been numerous efforts throughout the city to revitalize this Hong Kong tradition. For example, the city's contemporary and visual art center M+ has recently started a project to document the remaining neon light displays. They have existed for so long that many Hong Kongers consider these signs to be tied to the city's image and a characteristic of nightlife in the city.
Interestingly, the use of neon signs developed due to the scarcity of space in the city. As previously mentioned, Hong Kong is a super-packed city surrounded by water and mountains. Therefore, the streets are often quite crowded and narrow. To attract the attention of people on the streets, business owners tried to outdo each other by hanging billboards and signs higher and higher above the city's cramped streets.
