Hong Kong held its historic cross-harbor race Sunday, ending a 33-year suspension forced by pollution in the famous port.

About 1,000 swimmers took part in the 1.8 kilometer contest, dashing from Hong Kong island to the Kowloon peninsula.

The annual contest was first held in 1906, when Hong Kong was still a British colony. It was suspended after the 1978 race on concerns of high levels of bacteria and raw sewage in the harbor.

Environmental groups warned that there are still high levels of bacteria, but organizers said fluctuating water quality had improved in recent days.