On 1 February, the 2024 Chinese New Year Celebration for the Expat Friends, hosted by the International Communication Office of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, co-organized by Fosun International and Yuyuan, and organized by Grand Yuyuan Commercial Development Group and Yuyuan Foods & Dining Group, was held at Yuyuan Tourist Mart. More than 100 expats from more than 30 different countries or regions, working in different industries, and across different age groups gathered to savor the culture of Shanghai, experience intangible cultural heritage, and enjoy the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival, immersing themselves in the profound Chinese traditional culture and the charm of oriental lifestyle aesthetics.

The relevant person in charge of the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality said in his speech that everyone here is a participant, witness and disseminator of China’s stories. I hope everyone will continue to pursue their dreams and passions in this city, collectively telling authentic, multidimensional, and comprehensive China’s stories, and experiencing the wonders of Shanghai.

Wang Weichang, Assistant President of Grand Yuyuan Commercial Development Group, said that 2024 Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival officially began on 21 January. Yuyuan Tourist Mart sincerely welcomes friends at home and abroad to enjoy the beauty of traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage and celebrate Chinese New Year.

Thousands of lanterns illuminate Yuyuan Garden

On 21 January this year, Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival officially opened in Shanghai. Thousands of lanterns were illuminated to kick off the 29th Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival in the Year of the Dragon. From The Classic of Mountains to The Classic of Seas, from land to ocean, from China to the world, this year’s Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival continues the theme of "The Adventure of Mountains and Seas" and embark on a new chapter of "The Classic of Seas".

The “sea” embodies broad-mindedness and humanistic realm, echoing the values of a community with a shared future for mankind. It also demonstrates the righteous and courageous spirit of the Chinese nation and their open and inclusive attitude towards the world. “The sea is the world of dragons, the clouds are the homeland of cranes.” The “sea” represents the world of dragons and Shanghai. It symbolizes the splendid sea of lights that enlightens the soul; the vast sea that connects the past and present; the boundless journey; the ocean of shared human destiny.

This year, the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival has strategically partnered with Alipay to create a Metaverse Lantern Festival through "AR interactive + digital human" technology, enhancing the interactive experience of online and offline tours, and presenting the first digital human lantern lighting ceremony in the history of the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival. By searching “Lighting Yuyuan Garden’s Dragon Lanterns” on Alipay, app users from around the world may participate in the Yuyuan Garden digital lantern lighting event, breaking through the physical barrier to light up the lanterns for blessings in the digital world. Visitors at Yuyuan Garden may scan the AR codes at specific locations to experience the virtual and physical lantern festival simultaneously; for those unable to visit in person, the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival also provides an AR live stream, allowing everyone to enjoy the “Adventure of Mountains and Seas” from the comfort of their homes. Meanwhile, the Yuyuan Lantern Festival teamed up with Ant Forest to jointly promote "carbon neutrality" by encouraging citizens and visitors to travel green when visiting the lantern festival, and releasing the Year of the Dragon exclusive non-fungible tokens.

Expat friend lights up “Digital Yuyuan Garden Lantern” at the event

It is worth mentioning that the 29th edition of Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival marks its first overseas debut since its inception. The Festival Dragons et Lanternes has been warmly welcomed by locals in Paris, France. Starting from 15 December 2023, 60 large-scale lantern installations and over 2,000 lanterns have landed Jardin d'Acclimatation to present a splendid and mesmerizing Chinese fantasy world for overseas visitors. The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. The Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival in Shanghai and the Festival Dragons et Lanternes in Paris, which embody traditional Chinese culture, created resonance between the two cities.

The Festival Dragons et Lanternes has been designated as part of the opening festivities celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations and China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, and one of the highlighted events for the bilateral cooperation between China and France in 2024. In addition, the Festival Dragons et Lanternes serves as a prelude for the 2024 city promotion campaign of Shanghai, "Our Water: Flowing from Shanghai - Intercultural Dialogues among World Cities", in Paris.

Experience intangible cultural heritage and festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year

Yuyuan Tourist Mart is a classic landmark representing the culture of Shanghai. “Indulge in the flavors of Nanxiang steamed buns, relish pear-syrup candy, savor spiced beans, explore the oriental culinary delights of Lu Bo Lang and Songhelou; enjoy the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival to appreciate the beauty of oriental folk customs celebrated during the traditional Chinese festivals such as the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival." These lifestyle experiences imbued with oriental aesthetics continue to spread in international metropolises. In recent years, Yuyuan Tourist Mart has been known as the most festive area in Shanghai. Time-honored brands of Yuyuan presents exquisite Shanghai-style scented sachets, delicious local delicacies, etc., allowing expat friends to appreciate the heritage and innovation of Chinese brands.

Yuyuan Tourist Mart not only features many high-quality local brands that embody the culture of Shanghai, but also brings together cultural elements from all over China with oriental lifestyle aesthetics. On that day, members of the Shanghai Through Our Eyes Club first visited the "Sanxian – Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition" and the "Sugar King Exhibition" in Huabaolou, where they experienced various art forms such as Chinese calligraphy, painting, Yixing clay. The fondant cake "Wu Zetian" left visitors in awe. Chinese fondant art, which evolved from the traditional Chinese dough sculpture art, represents the integration of tradition and modernity, serving as an example of the continuous innovation and integration of traditional culture.

Subsequently, expat friends also experienced traditional intangible cultural heritage such as scented sachet-wrapping, paper-cutting, calligraphy, and sugar painting. Tong Han Chun Tang, which has a history of 240 years, carefully selects local medicinal herbs, grinds them and packs them into sachets , which not only bring good luck when worn daily but also have certain health benefits. With just a piece of red paper and a pair of scissors, various auspicious patterns can be intricately cut out, making it an essential decoration for Chinese New Year. Meanwhile, spring couplets and the Chinese character "Fu", commonly used as decorations during the Chinese New Year, are written with black ink on red paper to express good fortune and auspiciousness. By turning the dial, the pattern indicated by the pointer instantly appears. Sugar painting is both a delicacy and an art.

Chinese New Year Celebration for the Expat Friends gave expats in Shanghai an opportunity to experience various folk cultural activities such as the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival, enhancing their understanding and awareness of traditional Chinese culture, and showcasing the spirit and cultural atmosphere of contemporary China to the world. At the same time, the event conveyed the spirit of Shanghai and the fine traditions of China, attracting more foreigners to come to Shanghai and China, and writing new stories of friendship between China and overseas countries in the new era.