Lights, heritage and festive feasts mark first day of Chinese New Year across China

China ushered in the first day of the Chinese New Year with lantern displays, treasured cultural performances and festive food, as cities across the country lit up streets and waterways to celebrate renewal, tradition and togetherness.

The first day of the Chinese New Year is traditionally a time for people to visit relatives and friends after family reunions on New Year's Eve.

In popular holiday destinations like Fuzhou, southeastern China's Fujian Province, celebrations centered on traditional experiences following the Spring Festival's recognition by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. The historic Sanfang Qixiang area, also known as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, was transformed into an open-air heritage zone, offering visitors immersive encounters with folk customs, traditional crafts and local opera.

Highlights included the Renshan string lion dance – a 200-year-old heritage performance symbolizing blessings and protection – alongside flash performances showcasing Fuzhou's famed crafts such as bodiless lacquerware, oil-paper umbrellas and horn combs. Min Opera, dances by the She ethnic group, fish lantern dances and rolling-lantern performances brought the alleyways to life, conveying wishes for prosperity and happiness in the year ahead.

As night fell, the festive atmosphere extended along the Min River, where light shows illuminated more than 30 riverside buildings. Laser projections and 3D visuals turned the river and its islets into a glowing canvas of color. To encourage holiday travel and spending, the city launched 17 days of free metro and bus rides, rolled out themed consumption zones, issued consumer vouchers and scheduled over 200 promotional events.

Further north in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, locals marked the holiday with the city's lantern viewing tradition. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, upgraded night tours linked Baotu Spring, Daming Lake and Wulongtan Park via Jinan's historic moat.

Lanterns inspired by spring culture, classical poetry and tea traditions shimmered among pavilions and waterways, while boats offered nighttime cruises accompanied by traditional music performances. Cultural-themed souvenirs and bustling New Year markets added to the festive draw, blending local flavors with creative twists.