Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, south China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of lion dance, dragon dance

Meishan City, Sichuan Province, southwest China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Visitors, lanterns on riverbank
3. Various of performance, visitors

Huangshang City, Anhui Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of fish-shaped lantern parade

Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of lanterns, visitors

Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Aerial shots of firework show, tower
7. Visitor recording firework show with cellphone

Xiamen City, Fujian Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of firework show
9. Visitor recording firework show with cellphone

Beijing, China - Feb 18, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of visitors at temple fair; performance, visitors

Chongqing Municipality, southwest China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Various of residents at festival market

Yantai City, Shandong Province, east China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Aerial shot of dragon dance
13. Various of lion dance, visitors

Qujing City, Yunnan Province, southwest China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Aerial shot of people gathering for performance
15. Dancers performing Qilin dance

Lop County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
16. Various of performance
17. Visitors watching performance
18. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Gulmira Abdurishit, local official (ending with shot 19):
"We brought traditional performances such as dragon dances, lion dances and stilt performances. We want to pass on and promote traditional Chinese culture so people can feel its charm."
19. Various of performance

Hainan Province, south China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
20. Various of visitors at beach, water jet packs

Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, north China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
21. Various of visitors playing in snow
22. Visitors riding camels

Hong Kong, China - Feb 17, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
23. Various of float parade
24. Visitors

Macao, China - Feb 18, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
25. Various of dragon dance, lion dance

People across China are marking the Chinese New Year with a mix of traditional festivities, as they welcome the arrival of the Year of the Horse, the seventh of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.

The Chinese New Year fell on Tuesday this year.

In south China's Guangdong Province, Xiangshan, a historic town in Zhongshan City dating back more than 870 years, staged a colorful parade featuring lion dances, ribbon dragons and high-pole performances, drawing crowds eager to capture the spectacle.

At the Liujiang ancient town in Meishan, a city in southwest China's Sichuan Province, visitors enjoyed a blend of folk customs and modern light shows, while in Tangmo, an ancient village in east China's Anhui Province, residents staged a lantern parade, carrying giant fish-shaped lanterns through the streets.

In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, lanterns illuminated the ancient town of Cicheng, where more than 100 events for the Year of the Horse invited visitors to savor local traditions and the spirit of reunion.

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, a riverside firework show was hosted along the Ganjiang River in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, offering a feast of sound and light for visitors to admire.

Xiamen and Kinmen, two cities across the Taiwan Strait, jointly staged an annual fireworks display, sending Chinese New Year greetings across the water.

Temple fairs and cultural products drew visitors to parks in Beijing, while families in Bishan District in southwest China's Chongqing enjoyed food and games at a bustling holiday market.

In Yantai City, east China's Shandong Province, dragon and lion dances in temple fairs carried wishes for good fortune. In Qujing, a city in southwest China's Yunnan Province, thousands joined the lively dance of Qilin, a benevolent ancient Chinese mythical creature that is revered in Chinese folklore for warding off evil and bringing good luck.

In Lop County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, people from different ethnic groups gathered together to celebrate the Year of Horse with traditional performances.

"We brought traditional performances such as dragon dances, lion dances and stilt performances. We want to pass on and promote traditional Chinese culture so people can feel its charm," said Gulmira Abdurishit, a local official in Lop county, Hotan Prefecture.

Travel has also become a key part of the holiday.

China's southern island province of Hainan drew large numbers of tourists during the holiday, the first since the launch of island-wide special customs operations. In Sanya, a popular resort city, water sports and paragliding gave the festival a tropical flavor.

In Hulunbuir, a city in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, scenic spots and villages rolled out special winter activities for holiday makers.

Hong Kong staged a float parade on the first day of the Chinese New Year, with 12 decorated floats and 46 performance troupes from China and abroad.

In Macao, dragon and lion dances filled the streets on the second day of the Chinese New Year, with residents and tourists reaching out to touch the golden lions for good luck.