East meets West as Shanghai's cultural showcase hits Spain

BARCELONA, Spain — Music flowed into squares, dancers and street performers filled public spaces, and fireworks lit up Barcelona's waterfront from Sept 23 to 27 as the city celebrated La Merce, one of its most important annual festivals.

This year, the familiar festival rhythm carried a distinctive Chinese note. As 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Shanghai and Barcelona, Shanghai became the first Asian city to serve as La Merce's guest city. More than 100 artists delivered 14 performances spanning acrobatics, dance, jazz, and traditional Chinese music.

The Fengxian rolling lantern performance was among the opening-night highlights. After traditional giant Catalan figures performed at Sant Jaume Square on Sept 23, artists from Shanghai's Fengxian district took the stage with large golden lanterns, lifting and rolling them through a series of demanding moves. Near the end, sparks burst from the lanterns, echoing an earlier traditional Catalan dragon that sprayed sparks into the night, and drawing cheers from thousands of spectators.

Esteve Carames, director of cultural programs at the Barcelona Institute of Culture, said the Fengxian rolling lanterns were chosen for the opening ceremony because of their distinctive regional character and connection with coastal life.

"Barcelona is also a coastal city," he said. "We blended Barcelona's distinctive traditions with those of Shanghai."