Sanya City, one of China's most popular tourist destinations in south China's tropical island province of Hainan, on Tuesday welcomed the first international cruise ship for the Spring Festival in the start of the 2026 Chinese New Year.
The cruise ship, named Star Voyager, carried more than 1,800 passengers and docked at the Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise Port.
The cruise ship's meticulously crafted voyage themed on the Chinese New Year deeply integrated traditional Chinese culture with the cruise experience, further enriching the cruise tourism offerings in Sanya.
This year's Spring Festival fell on Feb 17, marking the start of the 2026 Chinese New Year, which is the Year of the Horse, the seventh of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.
South China's Sanya welcomes first international cruise ship for Spring Festival
New York's skyline glowed with a festive touch on Sunday evening as the Dream Wheel, widely known as the "Eye of New York," was illuminated in dazzling red to mark the Chinese New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Horse.
Towering over "American Dream" -- the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the northeastern United States -- the landmark ferris wheel is the complex's crowning architectural feature.
As hundreds of guests and local residents counted down in unison at a lighting ceremony, the Dream Wheel gradually lit up, erupting in a brilliant and celebratory Chinese red. The radiant display painted the sky above the venue, sending blessings for the Year of the Horse -- symbolizing hope, good fortune, and strength -- across the greater New York area.
"It's a great pleasure to have the Chinese people to be near us. I've been in China myself more than 20 times and I love Chinese people -- really respect the Chinese people very much. Happy New Year to all of the Chinese people," said Galmez, an invited guest.
The promotional video for the China Media Group (CMG)'s 2026 Spring Festival Gala was also screened at the event. The festive visuals captured the attention of local shoppers and tourists, many of whom paused to watch and pulled out their phones to record the special moment.
As the reach of the Gala's promo extends to more iconic overseas landmarks, Chinese New Year traditions are being shared with global audiences in increasingly vivid and accessible ways -- bringing the warmth of the festival closer to people around the world.
"New Year is to -- you build it upon each other to make the world a better place. It's a new start, like a new day always is, but it's a Year of the Horse now. You're valuable people. You're amazing, beautiful, talented people who have carried tradition and art form down to us. We appreciate that greatly," said Morgan, a local resident.
"Dream Wheel" lit in red to celebrate Chinese New Year in New York
