The Spring Festival is not only a traditional Chinese festival but has also become a cultural event shared and enjoyed by more people around the world, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday.
At a regular press briefing in Beijing, spokeswoman Mao Ning made the remarks in response to a media query, noting that Spring Festival was celebrated in various forms around the world, while foreign tourist visits to China have boomed ahead of the Spring Festival.
"The Spring Festival this year, which ushered in the Year of the Horse, coincided with a nine-day holiday, and the entire country was filled with joy, peace, and family reunions. Many foreign friends came to China to visit temple fairs, make dumplings, and write Spring Festival couplets, immersing themselves in the Chinese New Year atmosphere and experiencing a digital holiday that blends tradition and technology. Through the Spring Festival, they gained a sense of the Chinese way of life and learned about the harmonious, inclusive, and diverse Chinese culture. The Spring Festival is not only a traditional Chinese festival but has also become a globally shared cultural event. The joyous and celebratory Spring Festival signifies China's steady and prosperous future and will bring boundless vitality to the world," she said.
Travel platform data showed that in the two weeks leading up to the 2026 Spring Festival, flight bookings to China surged by over 400 percent year on year.
The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, fell on Feb 17 this year, ushering in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
Spring Festival becomes cultural event enjoyed globally: FM spokeswoman
