[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 2nd that the "2022 New Year's Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony," marking the end of the Year of the Black Tiger 2022 and welcoming the Year of the Black Rabbit 2023, was successfully held at Jinju Fortress Hokuk Bell Pavilion and surrounding areas with the participation of over 2,500 citizens.
The event was attended by Mayor Jo Gyu-il, members of the National Assembly, city councilors, representatives from various sectors of society, promising weightlifting athletes from Jinju Middle School, and Hamo, who swept three awards at the "2022 Our Neighborhood Character Awards," sharing a hopeful new start for the new year amid the cheers of the citizens.
Before the bell ringing, performances included a traditional drum performance by the cultural arts group Onter, a youth band Rockcon, a street dance performance by Heartbeat, invited singers' performances, and a New Year's calligraphy performance with artist Kang Bong-jun. Finally, Mayor Jo Gyu-il joined the event, raising the festive atmosphere.
Notably, a child representative born in 2011, the Year of the Rabbit, whose entire family is also born in the Year of the Rabbit, participated in the bell ringing, attracting attention. The ceremony concluded with 33 bell rings, paper airplane flying carrying citizens' New Year wishes, and fireworks, marking the end of the 2022 New Year's Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony.
The mother of child representative Kim Ha-young, who participated in the bell ringing, said, "Our whole family is born in the Year of the Rabbit, so we were invited to the bell ringing ceremony. It will be a good memory for the child and a meaningful new year."
At the venue, food sharing booths offering tteokguk (rice cake soup), eggs, tea, and other refreshments to warm up from the cold, as well as side events such as attaching wish papers for New Year hopes and tarot card experiences, were provided to offer enjoyment to the citizens.
The tteokguk sharing was supported by NH Nonghyup Jinju Branch providing rice cake soup ingredients and organized by the Jinju Saemaul Association. Event order maintenance and tea sharing were carried out with the participation of five volunteer organizations. On this day, BNK Gyeongnam Bank provided hot packs.
In his New Year's message, Mayor Jo said, "The Year of the Black Rabbit symbolizes wisdom and abundance. I hope we manage the year wisely and make it a more prosperous year than any other." He added, "Jinju City will do its best to successfully establish Season 2 of a prosperous Jinju where citizens are happy."
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