A variety of traditional festive activities have been held across China in recent days as the Chinese New Year approaches.
The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on February 17 this year, is the grandest traditional holiday for the Chinese people, when families reunite, take part in various customs, and exchange good wishes for happiness and prosperity in the year ahead.
In Chaozhou, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, intangible cultural heritage performances such as the Chaoshan Yingge dance and local drum displays take the stage in turn, winning enthusiastic applause from the audience.
In Zhangzhou City in the eastern Fujian Province, majestic dragon and lion dances have brought a distinct local festive flair to the celebrations.
In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the annual Spring Festival parade is bustling with excitement. A nearly one-kilometer-long procession of about 800 people delivers spectacular performances, including Yangko dancing and waist drum beating.
In Pingxiang City of the eastern province of Jiangxi, 12 parade teams featuring local folk dances wound their way through streets and alleys, filling the city with a joyous and festive holiday atmosphere.
"The parade performs all along the way, with many people following and taking photos. The streets are lined with red lanterns, and the sound of gongs and drums fills the air. It really feels like the Chinese New Year has arrived!" said Yang Xiyuan, a local resident.
In Fuquan City of southwest China's Guizhou Province, hundreds of people gathered around long tables for a feast, sharing traditional celebratory dishes made with freshly prepared pork.
In different parts of Tianjin, Shanghai and Shanxi, brilliant lights and dazzling decorations illuminate buildings and streets, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
"As soon as these lights are turned on, the Chinese New Year atmosphere and the feeling of the festival are created! With the brilliant lights on, we celebrate the Chinese New Year with excitement," said Zhang Juntao, a resident of Taiyuan City in Shanxi Province.
Festive celebrations light up China as Chinese New Year approaches
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
