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Trees dressed in "sweaters" breathe artistic vibes into China's winter landscape

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China

China

Trees dressed in "sweaters" breathe artistic vibes into China's winter landscape

2024-12-15 19:23 Last Updated At:23:07

Trees in some Chinese cities have been dressed in vibrant "sweaters" to greet the chilly winter, adding a playful touch to the street scenes and breathing artistic vibes into the country's winter landscape.

The lively and bright sweaters adorning the street trees in Hongxing Hutong of Dongcheng District, Beijing, have transformed the bustling roads into a delightful canvas of creativity.

The unique view brings a fusion of aesthetics and functionality to the trees and also immerses passersby and visitors in the combination of modern fashion and historical and cultural ambiance of the ancient capital.

"I think it is an innovation. It's good and attractive. I am very moved," said a passerby.

"I was a little shocked by using the hand-woven clothes to decorate the Hutong. It delivers a flourishing atmosphere," said a resident.

In addition to gorgeous colors, some sweaters were endowed with a personified charm by being completed with varied decorations such as long arms, tails, and accessories like gloves, drawing the attention of passersby and attracting many visitors to take photos.

The colorful sweaters not only add a pop of colors to the trees but also serve a practical purpose -- protecting against the chilly weather.

"Because during the winter in the north, winds dry out the environment and the temperature is low, both making trees vulnerable to freeze injury. What people did is actually in line with the forestry department's role in winterizing trees," said Peng Zuodeng, a professor at the Beijing Forestry University.

Behind the vibrant sweaters are the wonderful ideas and ingenuity of designers.

Trees in the campus of Beijing Foreign Studies University have also put on cute sweaters, thanks to the help of retired staff who knitted those sweaters by hand.

"We want to do something for the public good by beautifying our campus. We are very happy to see students visiting and taking photos there, so we thought we had done something meaningful," said Liu Junmei, a retired teacher at the university.

"We have done a lot of work on waste utilization by recycling old sweaters and buying some wool. We hope to bring some positive energy to everyone," said Zhang Zepeng, deputy director at the Property Center of Logistics and Infrastructure Department, Beijing Foreign Studies University.

In addition, trees near the Hohhot Sculpture Art Museum are also wearing colorful sweaters to add warmth and novelty to the Hohhot City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

"Because winter is often dominated by cool tone, so we used some sweaters with 'dopamine' colors to bring warmth to our winter days," said Liu Nana, a staff member of the Hohhot Sculpture Art Museum.

The beautified trees continued to delight visitors, turning an ordinary urban space into a point of interest and conversation among locals and tourists alike, and attracting many visitors to take a photo with the trees.

"Putting sweaters on trees is very lively and novel," said Weng Yuzhen, a resident.

Trees dressed in "sweaters" breathe artistic vibes into China's winter landscape

Trees dressed in "sweaters" breathe artistic vibes into China's winter landscape

Trees dressed in "sweaters" breathe artistic vibes into China's winter landscape

Trees dressed in "sweaters" breathe artistic vibes into China's winter landscape

Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province saw a soaring number of visitors from abroad on Thursday, the first day of 2026 and also the opening day of China's three-day New Year holiday, as festive celebrations unfolded across the city.

Major border checkpoints in the city recorded peak inbound passenger flows, with large numbers of travelers from Hong Kong, Macao and overseas entering the city to experience its vibrant holiday vibes.

"I'm so happy 'cause this is the first day of 2026, and I'm bringing my friends to visit Shenzhen," said a visitor from Hong Kong.

International tourists also shared their excitement.

"It's a very modern city and it's interesting to see such a New Year Eve in such a city," said an overseas visitor.

The inbound passenger flow at Luohu Port peaked from 8:00 to 20:00 on Thursday, said an officer there, adding the average daily passenger flow during the New Year break is expected to reach about 240,000.

At the West Kowloon Station port, eye-catching red decorations themed around the upcoming 2026 Spring Festival which will mark the beginning of the Year of the Horse added to the festive mood.

As a key transportation hub of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the port also saw heavy two-way passenger traffic. Daily cross-border passenger flow there is expected to average around 100,000 during the holiday.

An Australian tourist said he was looking forward to his trip to south China.

"I am from Melbourne, Australia and I'm coming to Guangzhou and Shenzhen in China. I'm excited to see all the tall buildings, especially all the ones that light up and experience a new culture in China." said a tourist.

Outside the ports, celebrations were in full swing as the city prepared for rising visitor numbers.

A large-scale parade featuring more than 30 themed formations kicked off in the morning along the 1.6-kilometer Festival Avenue in Shenzhen's Futian District.

The event drew huge crowds with inflatable cartoon characters, lively drum performances, and traditional Yingge Dance -- a form of folk dance popular in south China's Guangdong Province that merges opera, dance, and martial arts.

Nearby commercial zones also rolled out special consumption coupons, allowing visitors to enjoy a one-stop experience combining festive celebrations and shopping.

"The atmosphere is really nice. We feel very welcomed here. It's a very, very international vibe", said an international visitor.

China continues to grow in popularity as a destination for overseas travelers. Data from online tourism platforms show that inbound flight bookings to China rose 20 percent year on year on the first day of the holiday, with Shenzhen ranking fifth among the country's most popular inbound travel destinations.

"On the first day of holiday, international flight ticket purchases to Shenzhen has increased by 52.5 percent while the international flight bookings to the city has grown by 33 percent," said Shi Ke, a researcher from big data research institute of Qunar, an online travel service provider.

Shenzhen embraces influx of visitors on first day of 2026

Shenzhen embraces influx of visitors on first day of 2026

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