Lantern carnivals, gala promos bring Spring Festival spirit to Southern Hemisphere

Lantern carnivals in South America and Spring Festival Gala promos in New Zealand are bringing Chinese New Year traditions to audiences in the Southern Hemisphere, lighting up the festive season.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Feb 17 this year. It is the most important holiday in China. This year ushers in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle.

The "Brilliant Lantern Carnival" officially opened in Santiago, the capital of Chile on Friday. As a traditional cultural project originating from China, the lantern festival has been held in Chile for five consecutive years, gradually developing into a Chinese cultural brand that is highly anticipated and loved by the public.

This year's lantern carnival features a combination of large-scale lantern displays, traditional designs, and modern lighting technology, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese lantern art. For the first time, the event set up a "Chinese New Year Culture Experience Zone," where a promotional video for the China Media Group (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala played on a loop, becoming a major attraction.

"The promotional video shows Chinese New Year celebrations with delicious food, traditional costumes, and lantern festivals, presenting a truly beautiful cultural experience. It allows Chilean people to experience Chinese culture firsthand," said Juan Mena, a councilor of Santiago City.

Locals said the lantern festival and the Spring Festival Gala promo opened a window for them to learn about the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year customs, and contemporary Chinese culture.

"I was very interested in the Spring Festival Gala after watching the promotional video, the performances showcasing traditional Chinese arts were captivating. I look forward to watching the entire show this year and am full of anticipation for the Chinese New Year," said Camila Barrientos, a resident in Santiago.

"It is wonderful to bring the seemingly distant Eastern culture to our side, so that we can appreciate it," said Magdalena Avila, another resident.

Meanwhile, the promotional video for the CMG Spring Festival Gala, together with cultural and creative products themed around the Year of the Horse, debuted at Auckland International Airport, New Zealand's largest aviation hub. The showcase engaged travelers from across the globe.

The festive atmosphere extended beyond the terminal. On flights bound for Guangzhou, South China, Gala clips played on loop across large screens in waiting areas and cabins. By blending traditional New Year symbols with modern visuals, the videos conveyed the holiday's essence of reunion, peace, and renewal. Complementing the videos, Spring Festival cultural products, including bowls and plates, playful horse pendants, and horse-themed blind boxes, made a striking appearance throughout the airport's departure hall, lounges, and cabins. The items combined Chinese intangible heritage crafts themed on the Year of the Horse.

"I think it's beautiful, I see all the creations and everything over there and it's very artistic and I'm a very artsy person, so I do appreciate everything, which is going over there and look at that, it's so cute," said a traveler at the airport.

"The Spring Festival, of course, is an amazing celebration of Chinese culture and heritage. It's great that CMG is playing this fantastic clip here today as part of the celebrations at the departure gate here in Auckland on behalf of Auckland Airport, Auckland as well as New Zealand, I wish my very sincere, best wishes and blessings for the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse 2026," said Scott Tasker, chief customer officer at Auckland International Airport.

Lantern carnivals, gala promos bring Spring Festival spirit to Southern Hemisphere

Lantern carnivals, gala promos bring Spring Festival spirit to Southern Hemisphere

Iraq has seen its aviation industry dealt a huge blow because of continued airspace closures and flight suspensions amid regional hostilities triggered by the recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran.

As security concerns persist while tensions remain high, Iraq announced on Friday it would extend the closure of its airspace for one more week as uncertainty over the conflict continues to hang in the air.

It is estimated that the country's aviation industry has lost more than 43 million U.S. dollars over the past month since the crisis erupted, with the war causing huge disruption to air travel across the region.

"After the closure of Iraqi airspace, airport operations were halted, and revenue from both arriving and departing flights was lost. This includes income from passenger services as well as overflying aircraft, which has significantly impacted overall revenues," said Maytham al-Safi, director of media office of the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.

The impact is being felt across the board, from government revenues to private businesses, as some of the leading travel agencies say bookings have completely collapsed, with some reporting daily passenger numbers dropping from around 100 to just five.

"Our company has been directly affected. We have four branches and around 80 employees, and the impact has been significant. We still have rent and other expenses to cover, so we are trying to adapt to whatever limited business is still possible," said Ahmed Khalid, managing director of the Safari Trip travel and tourism company in Baghdad.

With air travel no longer an option, many Iraqis are turning to overland routes -- often traveling for hours, even days, to reach neighboring countries like Türkiye. But the journey is not only longer and more expensive, it can also be highly risky.

"This situation creates real anxiety for families. It's not only the travelers who are at risk, but also the vehicles transporting them. These journeys can be dangerous. There is always the risk of accidents or even drone strikes. At the same time, costs have doubled, so people are facing both financial and safety pressures," said Anwar al-Mousawi, a local resident.

For many, a sense of frustration is growing the longer the current situation drags on, as civilians bear the consequences of a conflict they are not part of, and with no clear timeline for reopening Iraqi airspace, economic losses and public frustration are expected to deepen.

"The reality is, we are in a country that is not part of this war and did not start it, yet we are the ones paying the price," said al-Mousawi.

Iraq's aviation industry left grounded as Middle East crisis continues