In a historic first, the Indonesian government has hosted national-level celebrations for the 2026 Chinese New Year, recognizing the Spring Festival as part of the country's official cultural calendar.
A festive atmosphere is sweeping across Indonesia as a series of Spring Festival events are underway.
In Semarang, a city known for its large overseas Chinese community, a vibrant temple fair has become a major highlight.
The fair offered a dynamic mix of cultural performances. In addition to the traditional dragon dances, a special horse dance was performed to mark the Year of the Horse, which is a Year of the Horse in the 12-animal Chinese zodiac.
The musical lineup was equally diverse, featuring both Indonesian and Chinese songs, offering local Chinese and Indonesian residents an immersive cultural experience.
"Celebrating the Chinese New Year holiday here feels quite similar to being back home, because the festive atmosphere here is also so strong. I feel that the relationship between China and Indonesia has grown increasingly close in recent years, which makes us overseas Chinese feel truly warm," said Ding Menglu, an overseas Chinese in Indonesia.
Alongside the evening festivities, a daytime cultural bazaar offered visitors a chance to soak up the holiday spirit and sample traditional cuisine. For the first time ever, the Chinese Consulate General in Surabaya also hosted a New Year event at the fair, drawing enthusiastic participation from attendees.
"This year's Spring Festival atmosphere is incredibly strong this year. We made a special trip from Jakarta to Semarang just to experience the joy of celebrations firsthand," said Veronica, a tourist.
The three-day temple fair in Semarang is part of Indonesia's inaugural national Chinese New Year Festival, themed "Archipelago Harmony," scheduled from February 17 to March 3, 2026, at Lapangan Banteng in Jakarta.
The celebration will feature lantern festivals, culinary and creative market festivals, an open museum showcasing Chinese cultural acculturation, the Nusantara Chinese New Year Parade, and other inclusive public events. Parallel celebrations will also take place in cities including Singkawang, Palembang, Solo, Semarang, Manado, Makassar, Surabaya, Medan, Bogor, Batam and Pontianak.
Indonesia hosts first national-level Chinese New Year celebrations
As another dazzling China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala drew to a close on early Tuesday morning, sign language performers infused the closing song "Unforgettable Tonight" with heartfelt emotion, allowing viewers with disabilities to share in the celebration and experience every touching note alongside millions of families across China.
For four decades, the final moments of the gala have belonged to "Unforgettable Tonight." For generations, the eve of the Chinese New Year isn't complete until its familiar melody fills living rooms. "Unforgettable Tonight" is not just a song but a cherished tradition that carries the weight of a nation's shared memories and hopes.
Inside a modest rehearsal room, the magic of "barrier-free broadcasting" came alive, as the production team worked to ensure that the visually and hearing-impaired could experience the full energy and emotion of the gala, just like everyone else.
"It might look like sign language is just a set of gestures. But it's so much more. It includes facial expressions, the dynamics, and the tempo of each movement. Every detail expresses the rhythms, melodies, and emotions in the music. As you can see, for this year's 'Unforgettable Tonight' with a lighter tone, the performers made it look effortless, swaying gently as they signed. But if the style changes, so does our signing. We can make it powerful too," said Zhao Zhihui, head of barrier-free broadcasting for the gala.
Last year, the team was challenged by an operatic version of the song, and the sign language mirrored the grandeur: delivered with robust energy and the muscular grace of Chinese opera. But in 2026, the approach was intentionally more intimate. Performers strove to capture even the subtlest change in mood.
"When it was the opera version, our signing was powerful and vigorous, capturing the strength and depth of traditional Chinese opera. This year, we wanted every delicate shift on stage to be fully shared by our visually and hearing-impaired audiences," Zhao shared.
During rehearsal, as the melody of "Unforgettable Tonight" flowed through the room and interpreters began their own choreography, the song revealed a beauty beyond sound and lyrics. Their hands, faces, and movements became a new language of expression, resonating with everyone present.
"It's not really about singing a song. It's about channeling all the emotions we've built up through so many years of the Chinese New Year. The gestures required for this song are simple, just a few basic movements. But every time you perform them, it feels different. Especially the final sign, the emotions are always deeper. Because that moment carries several months of hard work. When you finally succeed and think about 'Unforgettable Tonight,' you realize, what is 'tonight'? It's actually the past months of preparation and effort, all leading to that one final moment when we share the Gala's wonderful performances with every single member of our audience," said Zhao.
Sign language performers bring fresh life to beloved song at Spring Festival Gala
