Shougang Park's Beijing New Year's countdown event got underway on the evening of December 31, 2023.
Originally a steel mill that operated in the capital until 2005, Shougang was repurposed in the late 2010s as a tourist attraction and, in 2022, as an Olympic venue.
Nearly 100,000 Beijing residents came to the park for the New Year's celebration.
Gathering at the SoReal Metaverse Paradise at Shougang's No.1 blast furnace, enveloped by some stunning visual artistry produced by laser lights beaming from the surrounding industrial heritage buildings, the crowd cheered as they counted down from 60, with "2024" appearing before them on a mega screen at the stroke of midnight.
Performers on the stage exchanged their New Year's greetings in an atmosphere of joy.
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
