On February 25, 2026, the Chinese Embassy in the United States held the “Celebrating Chinese Festivals Together – Galloping into Spring” Open House Event in partnership with “Things to Do DC”. More than 250 guests from local communities attended the event.

Minister-Counselor Liu Pengyu extended New Year greetings to the guests. Using detailed data and vivid videos, Liu introduced the newest trends in China during the Spring Festival holiday including tourism booms, cultural and entertainment consumption surges, and technological advancements, which showcased China’s vibrancy and confidence.

Liu encouraged more American friends to visit China under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, experience China firsthand, and immerse themselves in a “very Chinese time in their lives.”

Guests, dressed in red and gold attire, enjoyed a classical dance performance named After the Rain to bid farewell to the Year of the Snake, and an energetic Mongolian dance performance named Wine and Song to welcome the Year of the Horse. A stunning face-changing performance drew rounds of applause.

Guests also celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year together in the cultural experience area. They savored cocktails made with Chinese baijiu, tried on traditional Hanfu clothing, wrote “fu” characters (meaning good fortune), shared New Year wishes, crafted scented soap and clay figurines, and made dumplings and sweet glutinous rice balls.