Cold night, warm hearts as a city celebrates
Print Edition
PEOPLE braved the cold with family and friends last night as they welcomed in the New Year at Xintiandi, the Bund, Longhua Temple and at shopping centers and entertainment venues across the city.
Xintiandi, one of the hottest spots at which to celebrate New Year’s Eve, was full to bursting.
As of 7pm, the popular “Kissmas” tree had witnessed 8,673 visitors since its December 2 debut. Dozens more people lined up last night to take their turn at showing their love.
Among them was 27-year-old Erin from California in the United States, who said that she and her boyfriend Nathan were celebrating Christmas in Shanghai for the first time.
“This tree is magic, and the city is awesome,” she said.
She said the couple was thinking of going to the Bund later for the New Year countdown.
At Xintiandi Style mall, the festival atmosphere was also in full swing. The dozens of stalls offering free food, popcorn and nail polishing services were all doing a brisk trade.
Ruby Fan, who works nearby, said she went to the mall to celebrate with her friends. “I decided to spend the last day of 2014 with my best friends,” she said.
“We’ve been friends for more than 10 years, and I hope we will be friends for life,” she said.
While Xintiandi attracted a mostly younger crowd, many older people headed for the relative calm of Longhua Temple, where a bell-tolling ceremony is held every year at midnight to welcome in the New Year.
It is traditional to toll the bells 108 times to absolve sins and bring good luck. In China, 108 is an auspicious number.
Built in 242, Longhua is the largest and most complete Buddhist temple in Shanghai.
Against a backdrop of Buddhist music, visitors tackled lantern riddles, hanged their wishes on the branches of a tree, and ate bowls of noodles in the name of longevity and good luck. Some even wrote their wishes for the year ahead on specially designated wall.
Local woman Chen Shunhua said this was the first time she had celebrated New Year’s Eve at the temple.
“I usually come here on the first day of the Spring Festival,” said the 60-something resident of Huacao in Minhang District.
Chen said she was praying for the safety and health of her family in 2015.
“Wealth is not important. For me, the health of my family is the most treasured thing,” she said.
Mark Li, who works in advertising, said he was at the temple to pray for good luck, as he is hoping to marry his girlfriend in 2015.
“We’ve dated for two years,” he said.
“So now it’s time to give her a bright future.”
At the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in the Pudong New Area, people huddled together for a countdown party that came complete with a multimedia light and music show.
The party was the first to be held at the tower but it is set to become an annual event.
The light and picture show took the crowd on a journey through time, from the 1960s to the present day, and the tower itself was transformed into a huge hourglass.
Li Ruoya, a tourist from Zhejiang province, said it was the second time she had come to Shanghai for the New Year with her family.
“I hope we can have a family reunion here every year. Shanghai is the best place to come for a short holiday,” she said.
As well as the numerous outdoor events last night, shopping malls across the city sought to cash in on the high spirits by luring customers with special discounts and lucky draws.
Several stores staged one-day sales and opened early to cope with the extra demand. At many, people queued for hours in the hope of bagging a bargain.
Michelle Wu said she went to the Westgate Mall on Nanjing Road W. with her heart set on a good deal on her favorite labels.
“Shopping is my celebration of the New Year,” she said.
Meanwhile, at Raffles City, near People’s Square, a woman named Amy said that she and her boyfriend decided to celebrate the turn of the year at the shopping mall as it was too cold to do so outside.
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