Countdown events in New York and Beijing… Celebrate the New Year individually even if the official event is canceled
The moods of major cities around the world to welcome the New Year in 2022 were different.
In some cities, grand New Year’s ceremonies were held as before the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but many cities canceled the event to prevent quarantine.
The Ball Drop event in Times Square, New York, USA, one of the most famous New Year’s festivals in the world, gathered 15,000 people.
As the New Year’s countdown began, a large crystal ball weighing 5.4 tons began to fall, and at the beginning of the New Year, 1.5 tons of colored paper was scattered among the forests of New York’s buildings.
Unlike last year, which was held privately to prevent the spread of COVID-19, 15,000 visitors were able to witness the crystal ball falling from Times Square this year.
Before the COVID-19 crisis, a crowd of one million people gathered near Times Square to watch a traditional New York event that began in 1907.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) launched strict security ahead of the New Year’s event, controlling vehicles around Times Square from 38th Street to 59th Street in Manhattan, and allowing visitors to and from only eight locations.
Prior to the event, some argued that the New Year’s event should be canceled in light of the rapid spread of Omicron mutations, but New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “New York City must show the world that it is overcoming the pandemic.” He carried out the event.
Visitors gathered at the event were required to present their vaccination certificate and wear a mask.
In Europe, however, authorities have reduced or canceled New Year’s events, but citizens have gathered to celebrate the new year on their own.
In the UK, fireworks with the London Eye, a famous landmark in London, and a party of 6,500 people in Trafalgar Square have all been canceled.
A fence was put up around Trafalgar Square to control entry.
However, some citizens gathered at the River Thames to celebrate the New Year.
Big Ben, which has been under repair since 2017, rang the bell to announce the new year for the first time in three and a half years.
People also gathered on the Champs-Elysees in France.
The city of Paris canceled a concert scheduled to be held in front of the Arc de Triomphe on the followingnoon of the 31st, but citizens celebrated the New Year on the streets.
In Berlin, Germany, a ban on fireworks was also imposed and the sale of firecrackers was banned, but citizens gathered around the Brandenburg Gate to welcome the new year.
The city of Moscow, Russia, set off 30,000 fireworks to mark the New Year.
New Year’s celebrations in Asian countries have also been canceled or reduced.
It was clear that even if an event with a large crowd was held without being held if possible, it was clear that they were paying attention to quarantine.
Bangkok, Thailand, canceled all New Year’s countdowns hosted by the city, and Indonesia and Vietnam did not hold large-scale events.
However, the appearance of Beijing, China, where quarantine has been strengthened ahead of the Winter Olympics next month, was different.
At ‘Fahrenheit Live Wooker Song’, which is frequented by young people in downtown Beijing, a countdown event for the New Year was held with security guards and police stationed everywhere.
In Japan, where the COVID-19 situation has recently improved, Tokyo’s New Year’s countdown event has been canceled following last year, but the visit to Meiji Jingu has resumed following two years.
(Correspondents Ko Il-hwan Kang Kun-taek in New York, Hye-ran Hyeon in Paris, Yun-jeong Choi in London, Nam-kwon Kim in Bangkok, Jun-hyung Cho in Beijing and Ho-jun Kim in Tokyo)
/yunhap news
