China filled with festivities as Spring Festival arrives

As the Spring Festival arrives, China bursts into life with vibrant celebrations, with people nationwide getting together to honor the age-old traditions, embrace festive cheer, and warmly welcome the new year.

The 2025 Spring Festival falls on Wednesday, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

It marks the first Spring Festival since its inclusion on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024, providing an opportunity for the public to immerse themselves in a variety of traditional cultural activities.

In the ancient town of Shouxian County in east China's Anhui Province and the Shanhaiguan Pass in north China's Hebei Province, traditions blend with lively festivities, allowing visitors to enjoy both the beauty of historical landmarks and the festive spirit of the season.

The Renfengli historical and cultural community in Yangzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province becomes a bustling hub of cultural heritage, with activities like woodblock printing, paper-cutting, clay figurines, and Huaiyang cuisine captivating locals and tourists alike.

The temple fair in Fuzhou City of east China's Fujian Province has become a popular spot where visitors not only watch unique performances and intangible cultural heritage displays but also have the chance to participate in the traditional flowery headwear-making of Quanzhou City in the province.

No Spring Festival celebration is complete without family gatherings to savor delicious food. On Jinqing Island in Sansha City of south China's Hainan Province, staff stationed on the island and their families came together to prepare hometown dishes, celebrating unity and togetherness.

A community in Urumqi City of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region prepares festive meals every year for elderly and vulnerable residents, where people from diverse ethnic groups can share the warmth and joy of the festival.

Residents in a community in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality came together to make dumplings, exchanging laughter and warmth in a cherished neighborhood tradition.

Villagers in Xianqiao Village of southwest China's Guizhou Province have arranged tables in a long line, offering traditional dishes of Miao ethic group and inviting visitors to share local delicacies.

"The long table banquet is a Miao tradition. This sour tofu soup and local fish mint are a true taste of our village, bringing the spirit of the Spring Festival alive," said Lan Ying, a local resident.

The festive energy also thrive in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

Flower markets, where the scent of blossoms mingles with festive cheer, have long been a hallmark of Hong Kong's Spring Festival celebrations. Local residents purchase plants to usher in the new year with hopes and wishes for a prosperous year ahead.

The Largo Do Senado in Macao dazzles with striking light displays and red lanterns, attracting locals and tourists to capture the festive magic.

Taipei's Dihua Street, a well-preserved old street, also sees a rush of activity, with crowds gathering to purchase traditional goods like peanuts, dried meats, and Spring Festival couplets, with the air filled with a festive energy.

China filled with festivities as Spring Festival arrives

China filled with festivities as Spring Festival arrives

China filled with festivities as Spring Festival arrives

China filled with festivities as Spring Festival arrives

With China assuming the rotating presidency on Friday, the United Nations Security Council will focus its work in May on revitalizing the authority of the UN Charter and the role of the United Nations, while advancing the political settlement of the Middle East issue, and promoting the stability and development of African countries.

Briefing reporters on the Security Council's priorities for May, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the Security Council for May, made the statement on Friday.

In recent years, the world has been witnessing growing turbulence in the international landscape, with conflicts increasing, divisions widening, and the multilateral system, along with international law, under considerable strain, he said, urging the international community to take urgent actions to uphold the authority of the UN Charter and strengthen the role of the United Nations to prevent the world from "relapsing into the jungle" and "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war".

In this context, Fu said, the Security Council will convene a high-level open debate in May under the theme of upholding the purposes and the principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centered international system.

Security Council to focus on UN's role, Middle East, Africa in May: Chinese envoy

Security Council to focus on UN's role, Middle East, Africa in May: Chinese envoy