Cities and towns across China are celebrating the approaching Spring Festival with vibrant folk performances, festive activities, and spectacular light displays. From China's north to south, celebration activities are staged with distinctive regional traditions.
In Altay of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, dragon dance parades featured horse riders and performance with Dombra, a traditional music instrument of the local Kazak people. In the Huize Ancient Town of Yunnan Province in southwest China, intangible cultural heritage shows and interactive folk activities in the historic alleys brought visitors a fresh Chinese New Year experience.
Holiday markets have opened nationwide. In Mudanjiang City in Heilongjiang Province in northeast China，a large fair has attracted residents and tourists with festive goods and local delicacies. In Changxing county in east China's Zhejiang province, visitors have been enjoying a traditional "fish and mutton banquet" featuring authentic local Chinese New Year flavors. Meanwhile, in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, a century-old flower market has been crowded with shoppers seeking to bring springtime blooms into their homes for the holiday.
From urban centers to rural areas, the festive atmosphere permeated day to night. In Beijing, colorful lights adorn 300 sites, ranging from historic landmarks to modern skyscrapers. Shopping districts in Shanghai have featured lanterns with auspicious themes. In Shangrao in east China's Jiangxi Province, residents of an ancient town paraded a 100-meter dragon lantern through historic streets.
This years' Spring Festival falls on Feb 17, ushering in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
China embraces Spring Festival with various folk activities
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
