Seven Years Away Due to Dongnam District Office Redevelopment Project
Civic Bell Completion Ceremony Held on Cheonan Citizens' Day
On the 10th, Cheonan City in Chungnam held the 'Cheonan Citizens' Day' commemorative ceremony and the completion ceremony of the 'Cheonan Citizens' Bell' in front of the Cheonan City Hall and the bell tower for Cheonan citizens.
The 'Cheonan Citizen's Bell,' which had to live away from its hometown of Cheonan for seven years, has returned home to celebrate Citizen's Day.
On the 10th, Cheonan City held a ceremony in front of the Cheonan Citizen's Bell Pavilion at the Cheonan City Hall to commemorate 'Cheonan Citizen's Day.' Notably, the event also included the completion ceremony for the Cheonan Citizen's Bell, welcoming its return after being away from its hometown for some time.
The Cheonan Citizen's Bell and its pavilion were originally installed in 2005 on the site of the Dongnam District Office, weighing 18.75 tons and standing 2.88 meters tall. The bell was used during major city events such as Independence Movement Day and Liberation Day, but was dismantled in 2017 due to the Dongnam District Office complex development project.
The dismantled bell had been stored at Seongjongsa, the manufacturing company in Jincheon, Chungbuk. After much deliberation over whether to reinstall the Cheonan Citizen's Bell, the city decided to move the pavilion to the front of the Bongseo Hall at City Hall based on a citizen survey.
On the 10th, Cheonan City in Chungnam held the 'Cheonan Citizens' Day' commemorative ceremony and the completion ceremony of the 'Cheonan Citizens' Bell' in front of the Cheonan City Hall and the bell tower for Cheonan citizens.
The bell-ringing ceremony was attended by local volunteer organizations dedicated to community development and harmony, children from the Cheonan City Hall daycare center, and athlete Lee Bongju, among others. The city plans to ring the Cheonan Citizen's Bell during major events such as New Year's Eve to wish for unity and well-being among its citizens.
The Cheonan Citizen's Day ceremony, held on the lunar calendar's August 8th to commemorate the establishment of Cheonan Dodokbu by King Taejo Wang Geon of Goryeo in 930, also included the Cheonan Citizen's Award ceremony.
This year's Cheonan Citizen's Award recipients are: Choi Soonkyu, former teacher at Cheonan Cheongsu High School, in the education and academic sector; Kim Kichang, director of the Cheonan Cultural Foundation, in the culture and arts sector; and Kim Kisuk, president of the Private Daycare Association, in the social service sector.
Mayor Park Sangdon said, "I am grateful to the citizens who waited for the Cheonan Citizen's Bell and made its wonderful return possible," adding, "From now on, the Cheonan Citizen's Bell will continue to ring for the bright future of Cheonan and the happiness and prosperity of all its citizens."
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