Landmarks light up in red for Spring Festival, amazing foreign tourists in Shanghai

Shanghai's iconic landmarks, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Shanghai Tower, have been illuminated in red to celebrate the Chinese New Year, captivating foreign visitors and adding to the city's festive atmosphere.

The dazzling display is part of the "The World Lights Up in Chinese Red" campaign promoted by the Shanghai government, which has collaborated with global landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Burj Khalifa, and the Sydney Opera House to light up in red on the first day of the Spring Festival.

This initiative underscores the worldwide celebrations of the Chinese New Year, which this year is particularly significant following its inscription on UNESCO's World Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

For many foreign tourists in Shanghai, the sight of these red-lit landmarks was a mesmerizing experience that showcased the city's vibrant cultural traditions.

"It's my first week in Shanghai, and wow, it's a beautiful city, Pudong [district] is incredible. It's a very good opportunity for me, because I want to discover this new culture for me, and the Chinese culture is very interesting. I will go to Sanya and Guilin next week," said Romeo Egea, a French tourist.

Samarskaya Julia, a Russian tourist, shared her excitement about the city.

"I came here because I heard a lot of stories from my friends who worked here and who went here for traveling, so I decided to go to one of the best cities in the world. I think it's very beautiful here. I'm just excited of everything, of even tiny things. So, for me, not only food, but people there. I'm so surprised that a lot of people speak English, so I feel so comfortable here. And I see the metro for the first time, but it wasn't any problems at all, so it's easy here for foreigners," she said.

The light display, along with various cultural events, highlights the increasing international appreciation of this traditional holiday.

The Spring Festival, or the start of the Chinese New Year, falls on Wednesday this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

Landmarks light up in red for Spring Festival, amazing foreign tourists in Shanghai

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Thursday attended the launch ceremony of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in Haikou, the capital of south China's island province of Hainan.

China on Thursday launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, which has now become the world's largest FTP by area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures.

The move is widely seen as a landmark in China's efforts to promote free trade and expand high-standard opening-up amid rising protectionism worldwide.

Under the new arrangements, the tropical island, which spans more than 30,000 square kilometers, has been designated a special customs supervision zone. This marks a new stage in the development of the Hainan FTP, which enables the freer flow of goods, capital, personnel and data, supported by zero tariffs, low tax rates and a simplified tax system.

Speaking at the launch meeting, He, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said substantial progress has been achieved in developing the Hainan FTP, and the essential conditions for its island-wide special customs operations have been met.

The island-wide special customs operations should serve as an opportunity to deepen reforms in key sectors, steadily advance high-quality development, improve the risk prevention and control system, and build the Hainan FTP into a leading gateway for China's opening-up in the new era, he said.

He also conducted on-site inspections in the free trade port to learn about cargo customs clearance procedures, the joint prevention and control mechanisms being put in place to target smuggling, and the implementation of the offshore duty-free policy.

Chinese vice premier attends launch meeting of Hainan special customs operations