On December 31, 2023, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism hosted the 2024 New Year countdown in Shougang Park. Taking the theme of "City of Colorful Beijing, starting a splendid journey together", the event showcased Beijing's appeal as a place where tradition and modernity meet, a harmonious, livable place for a colorful life, and Beijing's confidence in making a good start on the new journey in the new era and effort to write a new chapter of Chinese modernization.
As night fell, Shougang Park was brightly lit, and a full-scene, immersive New Year celebration unveiled. This event made full use of Shougang Park's characteristic industrial and Olympic heritage, abundant commercial space and cultural and tourism scenes. Through high-, medium- and low-space settings, the event created a 1+5 multi-point linkage: in addition to the main venue of No.1 Blast Furnace, there were five sub-venues, namely Shangri-La Shougang Park, Chang'an Mills, High Line Park, No.3 Coke Furnace, Cooling Tower and Big Air, which were all open to the public during the celebration. Lighting sculptures, light paintings and projections were used to create a festive, colorful atmosphere for the celebration. Meanwhile the night scene was lit up across the Shijingshan district and commercial promotions were staged in Shougang Park to lure the crowds to come and take photos, unwind, do shopping and hang out with family and friends, presenting a vivid picture of a wonderful life for all.
That night, SoReal Science Fiction Paradise at No.1 Blast Furnace offered the visitors an experience that blended past and present. In the metaverse space full of industrial and futuristic elements, the invited foreign diplomats immersed themselves in the "Time Roaming" electronic music starlight show, experienced a wealth of characteristic intangible cultural heritage items, and enjoyed the beautiful performances on traditional Chinese culture, including the guqin performance of "Lofty Mountains and Flowing Water," and the Peking Opera "The Peony Pavilion." The blending of tradition and modernity, and the organic integration of industrial aesthetics and innovative technology ushered the foreign guests into the wonderful New Year. Open and inclusive, Beijing strives to build itself into a world-famous cultural city where tradition and modernity complement each other, and to enhance exchanges and mutual learning with the rest of the world.
At 23:38, the New Year's countdown celebration officially began. Amid the flying red silk and the sonorous sound of drums, Beijing's seven world cultural heritage sites were displayed on the electronic screen as the representatives of the city's rich historical and cultural heritage. Chinese and foreign singers together performed the song "Beijing," singing praises to friendship and good will. On the big screen, scenes of a wonderful life of peace and contentment, joy and harmony appeared one by one, showing people benefiting from the city's drive to build into a city of readers, of performing arts, of museums, and an international consumption hub. The event reached a climax with the magnificent symphony and chorus "Head Off to the Future," symbolizing that Beijing is heading off to the future with the world through innovation, opening up and cooperation.
The New Year countdown celebration was joined by friends from afar. Mayors of Asti in Italy, Seoul in the Republic of Korea, Victoria in the Republic of Seychelles and Wellington in New Zealand, four member cities of the World Tourism Cities Federation along the Belt and Road, sent their New Year greetings and invitations to Beijing via video link.
At the celebration site, the Chinese and foreign guests joined the children in starting the 60-second countdown to the New Year. The Beijing swift flew to the naked-eye 3D display, unfolding the magnificent picture scroll of Beijing's central axis once again under the world's spotlight. The audience was full of enthusiasm, chanting "ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one" in unison. Bells and drums sounded in unison to ring us into the New Year. At exactly 0:00, "新年快乐" ("Happy New Year"), a piece of calligraphy written by Mr. Zhang Ji, vice chairman of China Calligraphers Association, was presented to the audience. Calligraphy, a representative of excellent traditional Chinese culture, shows the traditional Chinese aesthetics and our confidence in our own culture. It is learnt that calligraphy writing will be reserved in future New Year countdown celebrations in the city.
A new journey has kicked off. In 2024, Beijing will give full play to its advantages as a historical capital and a national cultural center, forge ahead in unity and with perseverance, strive to make more progress in the new era, and write a new chapter of contributing to China's drive to build a modern socialist country and advance national rejuvenation in all respects.
