The Seoul Metropolitan Government chose “Hope Seoul – Citizens Are Hope” as the slogan for its year-end bell ringing ceremony for this year. Accordingly, the city’s government selected 10 citizen representatives who have given hope and courage to people in various walks of life, and invited them to ring the Bosingak Bell 33 times at Bosingak Belfry in Jongno on December 31.
Mayor Park Won Soon had participated in the bell ringing ceremony as one of the citizen representatives in 2005. He attended this year’s ceremony at Bosingak as the Mayor of Seoul and thus held his first meeting of the New Year, the Year of Dragon, with more than 100,000 citizens.
In attendance at this year’s ceremony were dignitaries who have regularly participated in the annual event, including the Mayor of Seoul, the Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, the Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the Mayor of the Jongno-gu Office. They were accompanied by 10 people who were recommended by citizens via the city’s government website this year.
The city’s government installed a special Bosingak stage and Cheonggye Plaza stage for citizens who visited the site, and conducted various programs, including a celebrative performance featuring famous entertainers before and after the bell ringing on the beautiful and bright stages with systems that have were designed to deeply impress the citizens of Seoul.
Notably, the belling ringing ceremony to bring in the New Year was webcast live through Webcasters and Twitter, making it an event to be joined in on and shared by the largest number of citizens ever for this annual celebration. The event was webcasted via Seoul Internet TV, KT Olleh On Air, Afreeca TV, and Pandora TV.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government Internet TV: http://tv.seoul.go.kr/seoul2011/live/newyear.asp?mCode=030200
- KT Olleh On Air: http://onair.olleh.com/seoulmania/tj2
- Afreeca TV: http://www.afreeca.com/hiseoultv
- Pandora TV: http://bizlive.pandora.tv/special/vod.ptv?id=seoullive
Additionally, the city’s government offered live onsite broadcasting via giant LED screens at the center of Cheonggye Plaza and thus enabled citizens who weren't able to see the event firsthand to be able easily view the celebrations for the New Year.
In his New Year’s message, Mayor Park Won Soon told the citizens of Seoul that he hopes that they welcome the New Year as a year of hope and communication, and as a year of harmony and happiness, as he signaled in the beginning of 2012, the Year of Dragon.
Origin of Bosingak Bell Ringing
Paru – ringing 33 times (dawn)
- Ogyeong Samjeom: The bell was rung 33 times at around 4 am to lift curfew, and to open the eight gates to the capital and start a new day.
- Ringing the bell 33 times is originated from Buddhism, in which the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy transforms into 33 “skies” to help save the creatures. This resulted in the tradition of ringing the bell 33 times.
Injeong – ringing the bell 28 times (evening)
- The bell was rung 28 times at around 10 pm to announce imposing of curfew, and to close the gates to the capital simultaneously. - In ancient times, people divided the universe into the four gung’s of East, West, South, and North, and each gung was divided into seven to form 28 gu’s (28 su's) of constellations. This resulted in the tradition of ringing the bell 28 times.
※ Injeong refers to reporting to the 28 su's of the sun, the moon, and the stars of the universe, while paru reported to the 33 “skies” led by Jeseokcheon (shamanic deity) to seek blessings for national prosperity and the welfare of the people, all of which is related to Buddhism.
※ Bell ringing on the eve of New Year’s Day is meant to end a year, and to seek blessings for the health and happiness of the citizens in welcoming a New Year.
* Government press release (Jan, 2)
Mayor Park Won Soon had participated in the bell ringing ceremony as one of the citizen representatives in 2005. He attended this year’s ceremony at Bosingak as the Mayor of Seoul and thus held his first meeting of the New Year, the Year of Dragon, with more than 100,000 citizens.
In attendance at this year’s ceremony were dignitaries who have regularly participated in the annual event, including the Mayor of Seoul, the Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, the Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the Mayor of the Jongno-gu Office. They were accompanied by 10 people who were recommended by citizens via the city’s government website this year.
The city’s government installed a special Bosingak stage and Cheonggye Plaza stage for citizens who visited the site, and conducted various programs, including a celebrative performance featuring famous entertainers before and after the bell ringing on the beautiful and bright stages with systems that have were designed to deeply impress the citizens of Seoul.
Notably, the belling ringing ceremony to bring in the New Year was webcast live through Webcasters and Twitter, making it an event to be joined in on and shared by the largest number of citizens ever for this annual celebration. The event was webcasted via Seoul Internet TV, KT Olleh On Air, Afreeca TV, and Pandora TV.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government Internet TV: http://tv.seoul.go.kr/seoul2011/live/newyear.asp?mCode=030200
- KT Olleh On Air: http://onair.olleh.com/seoulmania/tj2
- Afreeca TV: http://www.afreeca.com/hiseoultv
- Pandora TV: http://bizlive.pandora.tv/special/vod.ptv?id=seoullive
Additionally, the city’s government offered live onsite broadcasting via giant LED screens at the center of Cheonggye Plaza and thus enabled citizens who weren't able to see the event firsthand to be able easily view the celebrations for the New Year.
In his New Year’s message, Mayor Park Won Soon told the citizens of Seoul that he hopes that they welcome the New Year as a year of hope and communication, and as a year of harmony and happiness, as he signaled in the beginning of 2012, the Year of Dragon.
Origin of Bosingak Bell Ringing
The Bosingak Bell was rung to open and close the four Main Gates (Sungnyemun, Heunginjimun, Sukjeongmun, and Donuimun) and the four Small Gates (Hyehwamun, Sodeokmun, Gwanghuimun, and Changuimun) in the capital city since the fifth year of King Taejo (1396) during the early Joseon Dynasty. Bell ringing at dawn was called “Paru” and bell ringing in the evening was called “Injeong.”
※ The Bosingak Bell was named as such from the 32nd year of King Gojong (1895), and the belfry was often called “Jongnu.”
Paru – ringing 33 times (dawn)
- Ogyeong Samjeom: The bell was rung 33 times at around 4 am to lift curfew, and to open the eight gates to the capital and start a new day.
- Ringing the bell 33 times is originated from Buddhism, in which the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy transforms into 33 “skies” to help save the creatures. This resulted in the tradition of ringing the bell 33 times.
Injeong – ringing the bell 28 times (evening)
- The bell was rung 28 times at around 10 pm to announce imposing of curfew, and to close the gates to the capital simultaneously. - In ancient times, people divided the universe into the four gung’s of East, West, South, and North, and each gung was divided into seven to form 28 gu’s (28 su's) of constellations. This resulted in the tradition of ringing the bell 28 times.
※ Injeong refers to reporting to the 28 su's of the sun, the moon, and the stars of the universe, while paru reported to the 33 “skies” led by Jeseokcheon (shamanic deity) to seek blessings for national prosperity and the welfare of the people, all of which is related to Buddhism.
※ Bell ringing on the eve of New Year’s Day is meant to end a year, and to seek blessings for the health and happiness of the citizens in welcoming a New Year.
* Government press release (Jan, 2)