Festive cheer sweeps across countries for Chinese New Year

As the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is approaching, France, Hungary, the United Arab Emirates and Russia have launched activities to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival.

A Spring Festival parade was held on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France on Feb 1 to greet the Chinese Year of the Horse, blending ancient tradition with futuristic flair on one of the world's most famous avenues.

The parade featured dragon and lion dances, Yingge dance from the Chaoshan region of south China's Guangdong Province, Yangge dance from northeast China, and a display of traditional Chinese attires.

Organizers said about 100,000 locals and tourists gathered along the Champs-Elysees to watch the 2026 Chinese New Year parade, filling the avenue with a Spring Festival atmosphere.

One of the most talked-about features of the parade was a humanoid robot invented by a Chinese company and supplied by French technology firm INNOV8 Group, adding a light-hearted technological twist to the festivities.

The robot, walking steadily at the head of a parade of performers, turned, paused and waved to spectators in time with the music, prompting cheers among the crowds. Many spectators could not help raising their cell phones to take photos.

The Budapest Chinatown Spring Festival Temple Fair, which was held on Feb 7-8 to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, featured a series of presentations on traditional Chinese culture.

From the "fire-spitting" masters of Sichuan opera to the hypnotic "long spout teapot" show, where tea is poured with kung fu-like precision, the festival offered many Hungarians their first close encounter with Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

There was also an immersive cultural experience zone at the event, where participants could try on Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) and practice Chinese calligraphy.

The sensory journey continued at the food stalls, where the air was thick with the scent of authentic street food. Two master chefs from southwest China's Chengdu City worked tirelessly, preparing spicy noodles and sweet mochi for a growing queue of hungry locals.

Meanwhile, visitors at the event were drawn to the promotional video of China Media Group's (CMG) 2026 Spring Festival Gala displayed on the outdoor screen.

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.

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

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.

The Russian capital, Moscow, is once again dazzling residents and visitors as it hosts a grand Chinese New Year celebration for the third time from Feb 16 to March 1. Residents of Moscow can familiarize themselves with Chinese culture and cuisine.

This year, a large screen will be set up in Manezhnaya Square to broadcast CMG's Spring Festival gala. A CMG mobile studio is expected to operate here for two weeks.

Near the Kremlin, the city government and the Russian Foreign Ministry have set up stalls to sell souvenirs and goods, as well as workshops to introduce visitors to Chinese culture.

A large delegation from seven provinces in China will visit Moscow, bringing performances to local residents, including Henan opera, chorus, acrobatics, martial arts, Yingge dance, and traditional bamboo dance. Representatives from eastern China's Zhejiang Province will hold a lantern exhibition, while chefs from Zhejiang's Hangzhou will host a workshop at a fish market and a tea party in the Russian capital.

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.

Festive cheer sweeps across countries for Chinese New Year

The Brazilian arm of China's State Grid recently brought together Chinese and Brazilian employees for a unique celebration in Rio de Janeiro, as the Chinese Spring Festival and Rio Carnival coincided this year.

Rio Carnival runs from Feb 13 to 17, while the Spring Festival, which marks the start of the Chinese New Year and ushers in the Year of the Horse, will begin on Feb 17.

The celebration, held at State Grid Brazil’s headquarters, blended the traditions of the Chinese New Year with the vibrant energy and music of Brazil’s most iconic festival.

The program opened with a performance by a Brazilian dance company to mark the Chinese New Year, followed by high-energy samba music and colorful Carnival costumes. Employees also received personalized souvenirs of Chinese calligraphy featuring their names and traditional well wishes.

Ramon Haddad, vice president of State Grid Holding Brazil, said the company now operates 25 transmission concessions nationwide and that fostering joy and cultural exchange is central to its workplace culture.

"We have about 1,000 employees across Brazil, and we always want to bring Brazilians and Chinese together, celebrating both countries' holidays. As a binational company, we need to focus on integration," he said.

The company noted that the overlap of the Chinese New Year and Brazil's Carnival underscores shared themes of joy, renewal and hope for the future.

Since arriving in Brazil in 2010, State Grid has expanded its transmission network, which now carries about ten percent of the country's high-voltage electricity and helps deliver renewable energy, among other sources, to major consumer centers.

Chinese, Brazilians celebrate in Rio as holidays coincide