New Year's countdown celebration held in Beijing

A New Year's countdown celebration and the opening ceremony of the 4th Beijing Ice and Snow Cultural Tourism Festival was held at the Shougang Park in the Chinese capital on New Year's Eve on Tuesday. Envoys from some 20 countries, tourists, students, and city residents gathered to usher in the New Year. 

Actors perform during a New Year's Eve countdown celebration at the Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 31, 2019. A New Year's Eve countdown celebration cum opening ceremony of the 4th Beijing Ice and Snow Cultural Tourism Festival is held on Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Themed with "Embracing the Ice and Snow Festival," the New Year's countdown and festival opening highlighted Beijing's urban transformation, industrial upgrading, and innovative development. 

The Shougang Park used to be a major steel plant in Beijing and is now the home of the organizing committee of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. 

In the evening, a "Charming Beijing" traditional cultural event was put on at the Xiuchi Exhibition Hall of the Shougang Park, presenting a variety of intangible cultural heritages such as filigree inlays, woodblock watermarks, Beijing lanterns, shadow paper cutting, windmills, round silk fans, face masks, and many others. Visitors there also enjoyed Peking Opera, diabolo juggling, and magic shows.  

The performance part for the countdown celebration began at 11:43 p.m. It focused on the changes of the Shougang area for the past 100 years, ice and snow carnival, new journey in the New Era, and dream for the future.  

The Minister of Tourism of the Republic of C?te d'Ivoire and representatives of the four member cities of the World Tourism Cities Federation - Edinburgh (the United Kingdom), Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Punta Cana (the Dominican Republic), and Galle (Sri Lanka) - brought video clips to the event, giving well wishes to Beijing for hosting an exceptional Winter Olympics.

Beijing began to hold New Year countdown celebrations in 2011. So far, celebrations have been held in the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Badaling section of the Great Wall, the Olympic Celebration Square, the Forbidden City, the Olympic Forest Park, and Yongding Gate. It has become a window showcasing Beijing's image as an international tourist city and its abundant tourism resources.