Fresh vibes, vibrant scenes mark spirited start to nation's economy in 2026

BEIJING — Emotional experiences and sought-after "sense of ritual" — mindful ways to imbue activities with symbolic meaning — best capture how Chinese people ushered in 2026, as vibrant celebrations across the country reflected robust domestic consumption at the start of the new year.

For Ms Li of Beijing, celebrating the New Year with a huge crowd under the eye-catching Century Clock and enjoying the dazzling countdown light show in neighboring Tianjin was an experience she'll never forget. "I purposefully traveled to Tianjin for the New Year celebration. I didn't expect there would be such a huge crowd and I could deeply feel the New Year vibe."

As Li enjoyed her New Year celebration, Zhao Xinran, in her 20s, traveled thousands of kilometers from the warm city of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, to Harbin, Heilongjiang province, an icy world of white snow. On the first day of the holiday, a hundred adorable penguins at Harbin Polarpark stole the show, drawing lots of visitors. "I visited the Harbin Ice-Snow World theme park, learned about local ice sculpture and lantern art, and enjoyed a walk on the historic Harbin Central Street."

Li and Zhao are a microcosm of the Chinese tourism consumption market heating up in the New Year season. During the three-day New Year holiday from Jan 1 to 3, keyword searches for "New Year trip" via the nation's leading travel platform Trip.com Group rose more than 125 percent. From theme park fireworks and wish-making events to concerts and more, people enjoyed a wide variety of ways to celebrate the New Year.

Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism show that during the three-day break, tourist spending on domestic travel reached nearly 84.8 billion yuan ($12.1 billion), noting that winter-themed tours, sun-seeking getaways and short-distance excursions had gained significant traction during the holiday period. Data from Fliggy, another leading online travel service provider, also indicate Chinese people's growing travel interest during the New Year holiday, with per capita consumption spending rising 30 percent year-on-year.

The robust travel-related consumption is closely tied to an advanced and efficient transport system, especially the country's vast high-speed rail network, which now stretches over 50,000 kilometers after the Xi'an-Yan'an high-speed railway opened on Dec 26.

With the new route's launch, the travel time between the two cities in Northwest China's Shaanxi province has been cut to around one hour. This 299-kilometer railway that links 19 counties and urban districts has made travel to tourist attractions such as the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, the legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation, as well as Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River, a seamless experience.

"The launch of this new high-speed railway has made travel a lot easier," said a tourist surnamed Mo from Xi'an. Mo and his family were among the visitors who took the high-speed train to get to Yan'an for a visit to the Hukou Waterfall during the New Year holiday.