CMG light show illuminates Dubai's iconic building to celebrate Spring Festival

China Media Group (CMG) on Sunday evening staged a spectacular Spring Festival light show on Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, to welcome the upcoming Year of the Horse.

The Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 17 this year, marks the start of the Chinese New Year. This year ushers in the Year of the Horse, the seventh of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.

As night descended on the city, the show opened with galloping horses racing across the tower's facade, extending wishes of success and good fortune for the year ahead.

Then, images of the Chinese peony and the United Arab Emirates' date palm intertwined, forming a striking symbol of shared prosperity and cultural harmony between China and the Arab world.

The Chinese character for "Spring" appeared on the tower, surrounded by peach blossoms. Scenes of a family reunion dinner, symbolizing togetherness, gave way to a dynamic dragon dance, representing good fortune and strength.

The segment culminated with children from both China and the UAE gazing up at a dazzling firework display, a universal symbol of hope for the future.

"I'm thrilled. It's my first time to celebrate the Spring Festival in Dubai. Standing beneath the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in Dubai, I was incredibly excited to see CMG's Spring Festival greetings to loved ones back home. I recorded the whole thing on my phone," said Tian Hui, Chinese visitor.

"This year is the [Year of the Horse] in China. [Wishing] the best for the people in the [Year of the Horse]. I wish you everything, luck, happiness, joy and so much love," said Carola, another visitor at the scene.

This year marks the seventh consecutive year of CMG's collaboration with Dubai's Emaar Group to showcase a Chinese New Year-themed light show on the Burj Khalifa.

This dazzling display will also be staged on Monday, the eve of the Chinese New Year, to extend warm greetings and heartfelt blessings to the world.

CMG light show illuminates Dubai's iconic building to celebrate Spring Festival

China's government-backed consumer goods trade-in programs benefited over 60.93 million purchases in the first quarter of 2026, boosting sales of 433.17 billion yuan (about 62.84 billion U.S. dollars), commerce ministry data showed Friday.

Nearly 1.41 million subsidy applications were received for auto trade-ins, driving new vehicle sales of 228.69 billion yuan in the January-March period.

Under the program, about 23.21 million home appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, air conditioners, computers and water heaters, were traded in during the period, boosting sales by 95.43 billion yuan.

A total of 36.32 million units of digital and smart products were sold under the program, driving sales of 109.05 billion yuan in Q1.

Chinese authorities have announced the renewal of the trade-in subsidy program for consumer goods in 2026 as part of the broader efforts to boost consumption, with 62.5 billion yuan in ultra-long special treasury bond funds allocated in advance to support this year's program.

China's consumer goods trade-in program generates sales of 430 bln yuan in Q1