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
African officials on Wednesday pledged to scale up investment to accelerate development across the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a meeting in Accra, Ghana's capital.
They made the commitment during the 24th Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), where leaders highlighted the need to expand the bank's capital base to finance transformative projects.
Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson stressed that timely capital payments would strengthen EBID's leverage and sustain its growth, enabling the institution to stimulate inclusive economic expansion across the region.
"Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthen our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth among our member states," said Forson.
EBID recorded strong achievements in 2025, with total disbursements of about 722 million U.S. dollars, up 47.7 percent from 2024. Building on that momentum, President George Agyekum Donkor said the bank remains committed to helping member states tackle poverty and close infrastructure gaps across the region.
"We aim to direct at least 63 percent of new commitments towards the private enterprises to catalyze job creation and innovation. Simultaneously, the bank would embed environmental, social and governance principles across its operations, dedicating over 41 percent of resources to climate mitigation and social inclusion projects," said Donkor.
With disbursements surging nearly 48 percent last year, EBID officials said the bank is positioned to channel more resources into private-sector growth and climate-focused projects, reinforcing its role as a driver of inclusive development across West Africa.
African officials vow stronger investment push at ECOWAS bank meeting in Accra
