Global audiences join cultural feasts amid Spring Festival celebrations

Festive lanterns, dazzling concerts, and cultural spectacles have lit up Spring Festival celebrations worldwide, drawing audiences from all backgrounds into the vibrancy of the Chinese New Year.

The Spring Festival, China's most important holiday marked by family reunions, festive foods and New Year wishes, fell on Tuesday this year. The nine-day holiday period starting from Sunday is now in full swing.

The 2026 Chinese New Year Lantern Festival opened at Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur, Nepal on Tuesday evening, captivating visitors with spectacular lantern sets and vibrant performances, such as Tai Chi, a centuries-old Chinese martial art, and the magical face-changing in Sichuan Opera, a Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

"I wish Chinese President Xi Jinping, all Chinese leaders and the Chinese people a joyous Spring Festival. May your lives be as vibrant and splendid as lanterns. Happy Spring Festival. Wish you prosperous," said Anil Kumar Sinha, Nepali Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

A vibrant show was put on Thursday at the Wellington Opera House in New Zealand as the first stop of a Spring Festival cultural performance for overseas Chinese around the world.

The cultural feast, blending traditional charm with modern innovation, delivered Chinese New Year blessings to the Chinese community in New Zealand and friends from both China and New Zealand.

"Now it's the Year of the Horse, which is about energy and vitality and being adventurous. For many decades, New Zealand and China have continued to build a very strong relationship. For Wellington, we have an important sister-city relationships with Beijing and Xiamen, and I look forward as mayor to strengthening those relationships just as much as we can," said Andrew Little, mayor of Wellington.

According to the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, during the Spring Festival holiday, the art troupes will stage 14 shows across 12 cities in six countries in the Asia-Pacific and Europe regions.

In Singapore, the opening ceremony of a Spring Festival cultural exhibition was held at the China Cultural Center, with artists from both China and Singapore together presenting a cultural spectacle that intertwined tradition with innovation.

The exhibition traces the customs and evolution of the Chinese New Year, showcasing the rich history and profound essence of traditional Chinese culture.

In the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany, a magnificent concert was held to usher in the Year of the Horse on Tuesday, highlighting the diversity of Chinese musical tradition.

Global audiences join cultural feasts amid Spring Festival celebrations

International tourists are no longer just passing through China's transit cities during the Spring Festival, as festive experiences, innovative tourism products and convenient services are prompting more travelers to stay longer.

In Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the benefit of the country's visa-free policies is increasingly visible. While the district has traditionally served as a transfer point for tourists boarding Yangtze cruises or switching to high-speed rail, this year's holiday saw a significant shift as visitors chose to stay and experience the local festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year.

"I've really been enjoying Wanzhou. The food here is exceptional, the steamed lamb is very good, the BBQ fish, the zajiang noodles. I like them a lot. The river is very beautiful, there's lots to do and the mountains are also very beautiful. The next few days I plan to visit Wanzhou's waterfall and also enjoy Chinese New Year," said a tourist from South Africa.

To accommodate the growing number of inbound travelers, particularly those in transit overnight, local authorities launched the Pinghu Night Tour. The initiative features drone light shows, roasted fish night markets, and 24-hour intangible cultural heritage performances, successfully transforming Wanzhou from a mere stopover into a primary destination.

Data from the local tourism department shows that inbound travel orders in Wanzhou surged by 40 percent year-on-year during the Spring Festival holiday.

At Beijing Capital International Airport, a newly launched free half-day tour program for international transit passengers has seen high demand during the holiday, with an average of over 100 daily registrations. The program whisks travelers away to iconic landmarks such as the Temple of Heaven and Qianmen Street, allowing them to make the most of their layover.

"It's really awesome getting to go to the old temple. I think that's really, really cool to see a bit of Chinese history," said a tourist from New Zealand.

The festive warmth has also reached China's maritime gateways. In the port city of Shantou, south China's Guangdong Province, a new policy allows foreign crew members to bypass traditional waiting times and head directly to local scenic spots. Border inspection officials now send invitation emails to vessels in advance, enabling crew members to clear customs quickly and join the New Year celebrations.

"All these impressions that I received in China are gift for me," said a Russian sailor.

China’s transit cities emerge as popular destinations for global tourists during Spring Festival