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Shanghai cuts down on New Year's celebrations across the city
With countdown events at the Bund, Xujiahui and Lujiazui cancelled, Xintiandi and the Expo Park brace for record crowds welcoming the New Year
Take a good look, these fireworks from the Xintiandi countdown for 2010 are more than anything you're going to see at this year's event.
According to the article from “Dongfang Daily,” the year-end festivities that were to be held at the Bund, Xujiahui and Lujiazui will be canceled out of safety concerns.
Although the report didn’t reveal many details, some media suspect that the apartment fire in Jing’an District last month may have something to do with the new New Year's austerity.
The limit on festivities means that there will be only two outdoor countdowns in Shanghai: one in Xintiandi and another at the Expo Celebration Square.
The same article also notes that there will be security checks for the first time at the sites in order to prevent fires, stampedes and "other incidents."
Now that other three countdowns at the Bund, Xujiahui and Lujiazui are canceled, it’s possible that many people will come to Xintiandi instead. But, we have an adequate police force to maintain order and security.— Qiongli Tao, Rui’an Real Estate
This will be the ninth countdown held in Xintiandi by the Taipingqiao Lake, and this year’s celebrity line-up includes Wang Leehom, Taiwan’s Dick & Cowboy, Landy Wen and contestants from "China’s Got Talent.”
Although celebrities will be out in en mass as usual, the main difference at the Xintiandi site celebration will be the kite flying instead of the usual fireworks at midnight.
No local papers reporting the kites-for-fireworks swap have made any mention that the city’s ban on kite-flying being repealed.
Tickets to the Xintiandi event will not be available for purchase, but 7,000 tickets will be offered to those who spend RMB 688 or more at Xintiandi Fashion, Shanghai Xintiandi, Corporate Avenue or the Langham Xintiandi Hotel before December 31.
“Now that other three countdowns at the Bund, Xujiahui and Lujiazui are canceled, it’s possible that many people will come to Xintiandi instead,” says Qiongli Tao, vice marketing manager of Rui’an Real Estate. “But, we have an adequate police force to maintain order and security.”
The public countdown party at the Expo Celebration Square will be hosted by SMG’s Entertainment Channel, starting from 10:30 p.m., but the event will only be open to those with ticket directly distributed by the channel.
The Expo Celebration Square is in Zone A at the Shanghai Expo site, near the Mercedes-Benz Culture Center (the original Expo Culture Center).
“Many stars will perform for the event at the Celebration Square, including Khalil Fong, Steve Chou and Lingyu Li, but the audience are the bigger star who are not only spectators but participants as well,” says Ping Tang, the event director. “People’s participation has made the Expo more wonderful, and it will also make this countdown party more passionate.”
The two parties will be televised live by SMG’s Dragon TV and Entertainment Channel on the evening of December 31, 2010.
