On December 31, 2013, people started to gather around at New York’s Times Square from 7:00 a.m. onwards, waiting for the New Year’s Eve celebrations which would start at 6:00 p.m.

The opening show of the celebration featured a Chinese song with Shandong features. After that, Confucius, portrayed by a descendant of Confucius, sent his best wishes to the people all over the world. There were also several martial arts performances. 

Spectators wore red scarves reading “Happy New Year 2014 New York & Friendly Shandong CHINA,” sent down by the Shandong Tourism Administration. At the same time, the videos featuring Shandong’s scenery were playing on nearly 20 giant LED screens below the square crystal ball.

It was a perfect opportunity for Shandong to promote its tourism brand “Shandong China, Hometown of Confucius; Friendly Shandong.” The grand New Year’s Eve celebrations at Times Square have been held there every year since 1904. A prominent part of it is the ball drop, which was first organized in 1907.

Every year, the celebration attracts over 1 million spectators to the scene and another estimated 1 billion people worldwide watch the event live on television or on the Internet.

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