Over 10,000 visitors and local residents gathered on Thursday at the Jiayu Pass scenic area in the city of Jiayuguan, northwest China's Gansu Province, to ring in 2026 through a spirited outdoor hiking activity.
The event offered a healthy and festive way to the hiking enthusiasts to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the arrival of the new while appreciating the spectacular views of the local section of the historic Great Wall.
The celebration also included a special welcome ceremony for the first wave of visitors, featuring the distribution of creative New Year gift packs, a wish wall for visitors to write their hopes and blessings, and a tea prayer zone where people penned characters for good fortune, conveying heartfelt New Year wishes.
"It has coincided with the first snowfall of 2026 here, and I appreciate the beauty of the northern landscape. Happy New Year to everyone!" said Chai Hua, a tourist.
"I've seen the scene of beautiful snow pine. This first auspicious snow of the year symbolizes a bountiful harvest," said Yue Yuting, another tourist.
Hiking event held at northwest China's Jiayu Pass to welcome arrival of New Year
Yemen's transport ministry on Thursday rejected new Saudi-imposed flight restrictions, calling a requirement for planes to stop in Saudi Arabia for security inspections an "air blockade" that undermines national sovereignty.
Officials loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) have refused to comply with the new protocols ordered by Yemen's Saudi-backed central government, and have partially halted operations in Aden International Airport, the country's primary gateway, a source within the Yemeni government told China's Xinhua News Agency.
The standoff is the latest sign of a deepening fracture within the coalition fighting the Houthi group. While the STC is technically part of Yemen's ruling Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), the group seeks independence for southern Yemen and is frequently at odds with the internationally recognized government.
Saudi Arabia recently ordered all international flights departing and entering Yemen to undergo security screenings at Jeddah Airport before continuing to their final destinations. While some of those restrictions were later eased, they remain in place for all flights traveling to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is allegedly the main backer of STC.
Government officials said the measures are intended to curb the movement of STC leaders between Yemen and the UAE, effectively cutting off external support for the secessionist movement.
Tensions between the factions escalated this week after the STC seized large swathes of the oil-rich Hadramout province and the eastern province of Al-Mahrah. Riyadh considers these areas a "red line" due to their proximity to the Saudi border and their concentration of Yemen's remaining energy reserves.
On Tuesday, a Saudi-led coalition airstrike targeted vehicles at the port of Mukalla in Hadramout. Saudi officials said the vehicles were intended for STC forces. Following the strike, PLC Chairman Rashad al-Alimi canceled a joint defense agreement with the UAE and ordered all Emirati forces to leave the country within 24 hours. The UAE confirmed Thursday it has begun withdrawing its remaining troops from Hadramout, citing safety concerns.
The STC commands significant control over Aden and other southern cities. Several cabinet members, including Transport Minister Abdulsalam Saleh Humaid, are loyal to the STC rather than the central leadership.
Aden's pro-separatist officials reject Saudi flight restrictions, partially halt airport operations
