A lineup of blockbusters dedicated to the Chinese New Year holiday hit cinemas across China's two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao on Tuesday to entertain local residents and promote film-induced tourism.
The Chinese New Year holiday, running for nine days from Feb 15 this year, is one of the key movie seasons in the world's second-largest film market.
On Tuesday, the Chinese New Year's Day, a bunch of highly anticipated domestic films, including Blades of the Guardians, Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector, and Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe, premiered in the two SARs.
The screening, part of the "China Travel with Chinese Films" initiative sponsored by the China Film Administration and China Media Group, has drawn significant attention from local moviegoers and positive reactions from local tourism industry.
On the day, China Tourism Group Travel, UnionPay International and other institutions set up booths inside cinemas to showcase themed travel routes linked to the films' shooting locations and story settings, alongside new incentives for tourism payment, attracting crowds of moviegoers, with routes in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and southwest China's Yunnan Province being particularly popular.
"We are seeing increasingly clear cultural advantages in Chinese films' global outreach. On the other hand, following Chinese films to travel and savor cuisine in China has been a trend involving more and more foreign audiences. The film industry has become the sector that gains the most spotlight during the Spring Festival holiday, and it has provided the biggest momentum fueling the holiday economy," said Ding Kai, general manager of the Sil-Metropole Organization.
"By leveraging the buzz around these Spring Festival films, we can enhance tourism with culture, and vice versa, to attract more movie fans from Hong Kong and Macao to travel to the mainland to see China's beautiful mountains and rivers, magnificent landscapes, rich tourism resources, and diverse ethnic cultures," said Zhang Xihua, deputy general manager of China Travel Service Macao.
The diversity of high-quality films released during the holiday season has driven a continuous increase in viewership. After watching the movies, some locals and expatriates in Hong Kong and Macao have shown an interest in exploring the spots shown on screen.
"Through domestic films, we have developed a strong interest in China's natural scenery and are eager to see it in person. We have also gained a greater sense of identity with China's traditional culture," said Liu Zhaojue, a Macao resident.
"I think it's a very interesting story, a mix of adventure, fantasy, and comedy. After watching this movie, it really makes me want to visit Yunnan Province. So, I think the cultural aspect of it, I think this is very captivating for the people that really want to get to know China," a Portuguese expatriate in Macao said after watching Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe.
Festive films hit Hong Kong, Macao theaters to help enhance tourism during Chinese New Year
A group of young American pickleball players engaged in vibrant cultural exchanges in China during the Chinese New Year, part of a growing wave of youth exchanges between the two countries.
The young athletes experienced a variety of activities in Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province.
On Monday, the Eve of Chinese New Year, they tried making dumplings, a hands-on lesson in culture and teamwork, and shared their feelings making dumplings.
"A chef came over and showed us how to do it first and how to make it look cool," said Richie Pitot, a student.
"It was fun, but I wasn't very good at it, we weren't very good at it. It was more just having fun with the mistakes. This is their first time - it's our first time being here for Chinese New Year," said Ian Skott Harper, another student.
"The shape of the dumpling, kind of a coin, and togetherness. We were all making them together," said Isaiah Martin Valmonte, also a student.
These "student ambassadors" are in Shenzhen to promote what they describe as "pickleball diplomacy". Beyond the matches, they're diving into Spring Festival traditions.
In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced during his visit to San Francisco that China would invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study over five years to increase exchanges between the two peoples, especially between the youths.
The young athletes also visited a flower market to learn about local floral culture that is in particular related to the festival.
"I learned that each flower has its own special significance. I think a large difference is Christmas in the U.S. is cold [in color]. Here, there's every color you could ever imagine. It's warm, it's sunny, it's nice. And I think it's polar opposites. But in a way, they give the same meaning, it's all about family. It's all about connections, and it's all about spending time with the ones you love most," said Ryan Corkery, another student.
The American pickleball players watched the 2026 Spring Festival Gala on Monday and hosted a celebration of their own, with food, gifts, and plenty of talent.
"People can have differences, different cultures, different beliefs, but it's finding the similarities and building bridges, and that's our mission with pickleball diplomacy, we are honored 55 years later, watching how ping pong diplomacy brought the United States and China together, we are hopeful to be part of that too," said Jeffrey Sullivan, head of the U.S. Delegation of Pickleball Diplomacy.
On Tuesday, the New Year's Day, they visited a cultural heritage theme park to experience ancient Chinese customs.
The young athletes expressed excitement and awe at experiencing the rich cultural heritage such as traditional acrobatics.
"When the trapeze, when the kids were jumping through the hoops and rings that was so crazy, they're so talented. I didn't even think they could get that high in the air. Honestly, it was just beautiful to watch, you saw so much culture and it really told a story about where we are and made me have such a much deeper understanding of China and its culture. And I just I just love it here so much," said Michael Horton, a student.
"It's such a deeper cultural tradition than in the United States. We generally stay up till midnight and watch the ball drop, and that can be a lot of fun. But here there are so many traditions and they're so deep and long running. It's such a connected experience that you definitely don't get in the United States. And it's been such a wonderful experience so far. And I'm so grateful to have been here," said William Massey, another student athlete.
The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, fell on Tuesday this year, and the official holiday season lasts nine days from February 15 to 23. The 2026 Chinese New Year marked the start of the Year of the Horse -- the seventh of the 12 zodiac animals in the Chinese zodiac.
American teens embrace dazzling cultural performances at Chinese New Year
