Cities across China hold traditional and modern events for Lunar New Year

China prepares to welcome the Year of the Horse, with nationwide celebrations coinciding with a rare solar eclipse.

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As the Lunar New Year approaches, cities across China are hosting events to welcome residents and tourists during the Spring Festival. The Year of the Horse begins on Tuesday, February 17, coinciding with a new moon and an annular solar eclipse, known as the “ring of fire,” a phenomenon that adds symbolic weight to the ancient celebration.

President Xi Jinping encouraged citizens to “maintain high morale and advance along the path of modernization in the Year of the Horse.”

In Beijing, major streets and landmarks are illuminated, blending equestrian-themed decorations with traditional red lanterns and fireworks.

In Hubei province, thousands of lanterns rise over Xiangyang, reflecting off the ancient city walls and the Han River. Sichuan province’s Dazhou hosts the Fire Dragon parade, with iron-cast fireworks brightening the night sky.

Jining in Shandong province combined folk traditions with technology, presenting a robotic-themed Spring Festival show that merged innovation with cultural performance.

The Spring Festival, celebrated since the Bronze Age under the Shang dynasty, is China’s traditional New Year. The holiday is observed worldwide, with Chinese communities at the center of the festivities.

China’s Year of the Horse celebrations highlight a blend of long-standing traditions and contemporary spectacle, underscoring the country’s cultural continuity and modernization efforts.

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