The dragon dance was followed by performances by an array of pop stars, such as Christina Aguilera, the Bastille, and Sting till the midnight.

As always, the celebration was under tight security as the New York Police Department deployed thousands of uniformed and plain-clothes men to the square and in the crowd. Over 200 vehicles and some 1,200 security cameras were deployed.

Despite the drenching downpour, many people waited for over 12 hours in order to get a good spot to witness the ball drop, a New Year's Eve tradition in the Big Apple since 1907.

The 12-foot (3.65 meters) ball, which is covered with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles, would descend down a flagpole at 11:59 pm local time (0459 GMT Jan 1) and come to a rest as the New Year kicks off.

Liu Yi from China's southwest province of Sichuan was among the spectators in raincoats. As a design major who graduated from Jefferson University in Pennsylvania, Liu wished she could find a good job within the industry in 2019.

She also expressed sincere hopes for her motherland to continue to prosper in the new year. "I hope Chinese designs could become popular around the world," she said.

Benito Leon, from Louisiana, hadn't seen his sister for 18 years since she moved to Mexico, and was thrilled to reunite with her on this special occasion. His new year wish was that the world could be "full of love and full of peace," he said.