On December 31st, 2023, from 9:00 PM to midnight, the Guangzhou Museum hosted a New Year's Eve countdown night event at the historic Zhenhai Tower in the old city of Guangzhou. The event invited spectators, volunteers, and others to spend the final moments of 2023 together, welcoming the new year. Participants praised this event as the "most ceremonial" New Year's Eve celebration.

During the event, a historically rich light and shadow show unfolded at Zhenhai Tower, dazzling the audience. This marked the first-ever light and shadow show at Zhenhai Tower in its 643 years of existence.

The light and shadow show for this New Year's Eve event was designed based on the architectural features of Zhenhai Tower, the main venue. It extracted elements such as the transformation of Guangzhou city, Lingnan cultural heritage, and treasures from the Guangzhou Museum's collection. Utilizing digital means and leveraging the brand IP "Chuanyueji (Journey Through Time in Guangdong)," the museum reimagined the show.

As the countdown to midnight approached, the bells rang from Zhenhai Tower (also known as the Five-floor Tower) atop Yuexiu Mountain, filling the air with a melodic resonance. People cheered and embraced, making hopeful wishes for the new year. These chimes were produced by the century-old Guangzhou enamel clock.

The Guangzhou enamel clock, a representative of Western technology localized in China, returned to Guangzhou in the 1960s after being housed in the Palace Museum. In June 2023, the Guangzhou Museum and the Palace Museum jointly launched a comprehensive restoration project for the antique clock, involving thorough cleaning and repairs.

The chosen clock for New Year's Eve was the Qing Dynasty gilded enamel copper tower clock, known for its timekeeping and musical capabilities. Emperor Qianlong was known to enjoy winding up such clocks for personal entertainment.

On that night, the "Qianlong-loved" Guangzhou enamel clock made its first public appearance after restoration, emanating a melodious chime that seemed to transcend time, reviving the clock's historical timekeeping and musical functions.

In addition to the light and shadow show and the countdown, the New Year's Eve event included a themed garden party. The venue featured engaging performances by Guangzhou Museum staff, including guides, artifact custodians, and volunteers presenting various programs such as Chinese dance and poetry recitations. The original play, "Six Centuries of Wind and Rain at Zhenhai Tower," set against the backdrop of Zhenhai Tower, narrated the cross-temporal encounter of historical figures Zhu Liangzu and Peng Yulin,addingprofound cultural and historical ambiance to the "Museum New Year's Eve."

This event marked Guangzhou Museum's inaugural Museum New Year's Eve celebration, showcasing creativity and innovation.

Evenbeforethe initiation of the nationwide museum night tour in 2019, Guangzhou Museum led the way in 2015 with the first "Zhenhai Tower Night - Ascending the Tower for Gazing at the Moon Together" Mid-Autumn Festival event. They pioneered the "cultural festival + special event" museum night opening model, leading among comprehensive heritage museums in China. Subsequently, in the trial period of the nighttime regular opening, Guangzhou Museum continually introduced distinctive night tour projects, sparking public engagement in cultural consumption.

Source:Yangcheng Evening News

广州镇海楼：灯光秀伴“乾隆同款”广钟奏鸣一同迎新

2023年12月31日21时-24时，广州博物馆（以下简称“广博”）在广州老城标镇海楼举办跨年倒数夜活动，邀请观众、志愿者等共度2023年最后的时光，迎接新的一年。本次活动被参与者誉为“最有仪式感”的跨年夜活动。

活动当晚，一场富有历史感的光影大秀在镇海楼上演，光彩夺目。据悉，这是镇海楼建楼643年以来的首次光影大秀。

据介绍，本次跨年夜活动的光影秀，根据主馆址镇海楼的建筑立面特点，通过提取广州城市变迁、岭南文化传承、广博馆藏珍品等元素，利用数字化的手段，依托品牌IP“穿粤记”进行重新设计。

在跨年倒数和零点报时环节，越秀山镇海楼（又称五层楼）响起了悠悠钟声，人们随之欢呼拥抱，许下新年的美好祝愿。这些钟声是由百年前的广钟发出。

广钟是西方技术中国化的典型代表。20世纪60年代，几座原藏于故宫博物院的广钟回到它的故乡广州，调拨到广州博物馆。2023年6月5日，广博与故宫博物院联合开展的古钟表文物修复合作项目正式启动，对馆藏广钟进行了全面的清洗、修复工作。

本次跨年夜选用的清铜镀金珐琅瓶式变字转花开花钟，是一款表演钟，不仅能报时，还能放音乐。据说乾隆皇帝很喜欢这类的钟表，平日偶尔拧下发条自娱自乐。

当晚，这座“乾隆同款”广钟实现修复后的首次“公开发声”，悠悠钟声“穿越”时空而来，再现昔日的走时鸣音表演功能。

除了光影秀和跨年倒数，本次跨年夜活动还安排了游园会。现场还有“广博人”讲解员、文物保管员、志愿者自编自导自演多个精彩节目，如中国舞、诗朗诵等；而以镇海楼为实景舞台、讲述历史名人朱亮祖和彭玉麟跨时空相遇的原创剧目《六百载风雨镇海楼》，让当晚的“博物馆跨年夜”增添了深厚的人文底蕴和历史氛围感。

   本次活动是广博首次举办的博物馆跨年夜活动，颇有创意。

在2019年国内博物馆夜游开启“元年”之前，广博早在2015年就举办了第一届“镇海楼之夜”——“层楼晚望 明月共赏”中秋活动，率先策划开展了“文化节日型+专项活动型”的博物馆夜间开放模式，在国内遗址类综合博物馆中走在前列。其后在夜间常态化开放试点中，广博又不断推出夜游特色项目，激发公众参与文化消费。

文 | 记者 黄宙辉 通讯员 邓颖瑜
图 | 记者 梁喻 刘颖颖
翻译｜刘佳慧