'Ice City' of Harbin shines bright with warm celebrations at Lantern Festival Gala

Northeast China's "ice city" of Harbin was in the spotlight on Tuesday evening as it featured as a sub-venue for the 2026 Lantern Festival Gala, offering a stunning array of performances that seamlessly fused age-old traditions with cutting-edge modernity.

Hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), the annual gala this year features four sub-venues in addition to the main stage in Beijing. Taking the grand show to new locations each year has become a new tradition for the long-running entertainment show, showcasing more of China's varied landscapes and cultural traditions.

As well as Harbin, the other venues this year include Hefei, the provincial capital of the eastern Anhui Province which has emerged as a prime location for sci-tech innovation, the trading hub of Yiwu in east China's Zhejiang, which has been dubbed "the world's supermarket," and Yibin in the southwestern Sichuan Province, known for its ancient architecture and picturesque scenery along the banks of the Yangtze River.

As a vibrant sub-venue of the hours-long gala, Harbin showcased its unique charm through captivating acts, from shimmering ice sculptures and folk art to innovative digital presentations and spectacular firework displays, creating a magical celebration that paid homage to the city's icy heritage while embracing the spirit of contemporary creativity.

The Lantern Festival, observed on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, lands on Tuesday this year, and marks the conclusion of the country's Spring Festival celebrations, which center around the Chinese New Year.

First broadcast back in 1985, the Lantern Festival Gala stages a whole host of entertaining variety performances each year including energetic songs and dances, comedy sketches, as well as traditional operas and magic shows, highlighting China's unique cultural charm.

With a history spanning over 2,000 years, the Lantern Festival is deemed an important annual occasion in China, and is a time to admire the full moon, view traditional lantern shows, and eat "Yuanxiao" or "Tangyuan", a traditional ball-shaped Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice.

'Ice City' of Harbin shines bright with warm celebrations at Lantern Festival Gala

Refraining from the use or threat of force in international relations is in the fundamental interests of all parties, including Israel, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar at the latter's request.

After listening to Sa'ar's briefing on Israel's position regarding the current situation, Wang said that China has consistently advocated resolving international and regional hotspot issues through dialogue and consultation, and that all parties should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

For many years, China has been committed to promoting a political settlement of the Iran nuclear issue, Wang said, adding that recent talks between Iran and the United States had been making clear progress and also addressed Israel's security concerns.

Regrettably, this process has now been disrupted by military strikes, Wang said.

China opposes the military strikes launched by Israel and the United States against Iran. The use of force cannot truly resolve the issue. Instead, it will create new problems and grave repercussions, Wang said.

The true value of military strength lies not on the battlefield but in preventing war, said Wang, noting that China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the conflict from further escalating and spiraling out of control.

He said that China has consistently upheld a just position on Middle East issues and will continue to play a constructive role in promoting de-escalation.

Wang also urged the Israeli side to take concrete measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions.

Sa'ar said that Israel attaches great importance to this matter and will safeguard the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions.

No use or threat of force serves all parties, including Israel: Chinese FM