As the Year of the Horse approaches, overseas Chinese communities around the world are already bustling with activity. At an exhibition in Los Angeles, USA, multiple ethnic groups join Chinese locals in a vibrant market fair; in a park in South Korea, "little red horses" spread New Year blessings; at two art exhibitions spanning China and abroad, artists connect cultures through their works—overseas Chinese are unlocking new creative ways to welcome the Year of the Horse, using exhibitions, public welfare projects, and art to build cultural bridges. These efforts allow the joy and warmth of the Spring Festival to transcend geographical boundaries, painting a vivid picture of cultural integration on the world stage.
Li Hong, Honorary President of the American Beijing Federation, notes that the Year of the Horse brings added joy as multiple ethnic groups celebrate together. Photos shared by Li Hong on her WeChat moments vividly capture the approaching excitement of the Year of the Horse. The Chinese Consumer Products Expo, which began in 1982, initially served as a benefit for advertisers in the "Chinese Business Telephone Directory." The Los Angeles Times once quoted organizers describing it as an "Asian version of a country fair." "This is the 44th edition. I've visited in recent years, and this year's scale is larger than before. According to the data provided by the expo, there are 1,400 vendors, 7 exhibition halls, 8 performance stages, and 3 food streets. My personal feeling is that you couldn't see everything even in a full day. Last year, the crowd thinned out by 5 p.m., but this year, everyone's enthusiasm is noticeably higher," Li Hong remarked.
The expo site was exceptionally lively. Outdoors, vehicles adorned with various two-dimensional cartoon designs were eye-catching; young people in elaborate COSPLAY outfits became a unique attraction. At merchant booths, staff busily distributed red envelopes and business cards printed with New Year greetings. The food section offered a wide array of ingredients and specialty snacks, while the food streets were filled with a festive atmosphere, featuring tanghulu, skewers, takoyaki, sugarcane, and more, tantalizing taste buds in turn. This reminded Li Hong of the Beijing Ditan Temple Fair: "The difference is that the Ditan Temple Fair is held during the Spring Festival, while the Chinese Consumer Products Expo takes place before the Spring Festival. The expo has always provided a platform for businesses to showcase and enhance their visibility, while also offering customers a chance to enjoy discounts."
This year's expo felt distinctly different. "I particularly noticed that this event has become a shared carnival for the Asian community," Li Hong said. "The Chinese name remains '华人工商大展' (Chinese Consumer Products Expo), but the English name has changed to 'ASIAN AMERICAN EXPO'." On stage, a variety of performances ensued: dragon and lion dances created a festive atmosphere, Chinese-American children's acrobatics drew gasps of amazement, Mongolian and Korean dances showcased ethnic styles, and Spanish flamenco dancers performed with passionate energy. Performers from different ethnic groups used art to break language barriers, offering audiences an audiovisual feast. "I was dazzled and even asked staff which booths were run by Chinese," Li Hong joked, noting that exhibitors and shoppers from diverse backgrounds mingled, collectively experiencing the fusion of Chinese culture and diverse civilizations.
In welcoming the Year of the Horse, Li Hong observed the shared joy among multiple ethnic groups at the expo. She also put considerable thought into the New Year activities she organized and participated in. "During the Spring Festival, Chinese associations in Los Angeles host gatherings almost every weekend, and we also receive warm greetings from hometown overseas Chinese affairs departments. This year, I wanted to organize something innovative. For Chinese-Americans, former U.S. President Nixon's 'ice-breaking' visit to China holds great significance. Late last month, we organized a visit to the Nixon Museum. It was a special gathering to welcome the Year of the Horse," Li Hong shared. She also prepared a unique New Year surprise for her law firm—custom-made red wine from Napa Valley, California. "During the Spring Festival, whether for friend gatherings or association events, I plan to bring this wine to share blessings."
"When people talk about the 'horse,' they think of auspicious phrases like 'immediate success' and 'instant wealth.' It feels like everyone is in high spirits this year. I believe the Year of the Horse will be a good one," Li Hong expressed.
Li Zheying, Principal of the Ulsan Chinese Language Academy in South Korea, emphasizes that the Year of the Horse conveys affection, with public welfare activities adding warmth. On a sunny day, five "little red horses"—children dressed in red horse costumes—caught attention at Taehwagang National Garden in Ulsan. "Many Koreans in the park curiously asked the children, 'Why are you dressed like this? Are you performing?' The children proudly replied, 'This is our special outfit to welcome the Year of the Horse. We are recording blessings and have prepared a dance for a performance,'" Li Zheying explained. That day, she led the children in recording a祝福视频 at the garden for the 2026 "亲情中华·童心欢畅" global online Lantern Festival gathering for overseas Chinese youth, organized by the China Overseas Exchange Association. "The children's costumes became a scenic highlight in Taehwagang National Garden."
"Isn't this spontaneous interaction in the park an effective form of people-to-people diplomacy?" To welcome the Year of the Horse, Li Zheying choreographed a dance titled "Galloping Little Horses" and organized children and parents, dressed in Zhuang ethnic costumes, to perform Zhuang antiphonal singing. These performances will be featured at an upcoming New Year reception hosted by the local consulate. Beyond stage performances, public welfare actions add a touch of warmth to the festive atmosphere. Before the Spring Festival, Li Zheying will join members of the Ulsan Chinese Compatriots Association in a consulate-organized activity, visiting local construction sites to deliver Spring Festival gift packages containing couplets, "福" characters, heartfelt cards, and local specialties. During the festival, the association will also organize teachers, students, and members to volunteer at local welfare institutions, such as performing for the elderly and making dumplings together at nursing homes.
"Regularly, we take children to volunteer at welfare institutions. I believe these small actions help spread our excellent traditional Chinese culture and contribute to building a positive image for Chinese people overseas," Li Zheying stated. Having arrived in South Korea in 2007, Li Zheying shared her personal "Chinese Dream": to see Chinese culture take root in South Korea through various forms like regional characteristic displays, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and public welfare activities. She has been working diligently towards this goal. Addressing the issue of some overseas Chinese children having a模糊 cultural identity, Li Zheying founded the Ulsan Chinese Language Academy during the pandemic. The academy now has over 100 students aged 6 to 17, learning through weekend in-person classes and weekday online lessons. It specially offers cultural experience classes to immerse children in Chinese culture.
In 2014, Li Zheying established the "Little Panda Art Troupe," which currently has over 30 children aged 6 to 17. Together with members of the Ulsan Chinese Compatriots Association, she frequently organizes participation in various local cultural events in South Korea to actively showcase Chinese culture. Every invitation to visit China through programs organized by domestic institutions is a learning opportunity for Li Zheying. "Last year, I attended a Chinese language teacher training program in Guangxi, where the local antiphonal singing captivated me. I immediately thought about organizing everyone to learn and perform it back in South Korea. Previously, in Heilongjiang, I was enthralled by the local woodblock prints, pine wood carvings, and Manchu embroidery. Such experiences deepen my appreciation for the richness of Chinese culture. I particularly hope to change the one-sided impressions many people overseas have of China," she expressed. Li Zheying has created a dedicated Chinese culture exhibition and experience area on the fourth floor of the academy. Besides displaying特色作品 she brought from China, she regularly holds cultural experience activities, inviting people to taste regional cuisines and try traditional crafts like paper-cutting and weaving.
Watching the children dressed as little red horses, Li Zheying felt genuine happiness: her "Chinese Dream" is gradually becoming a reality.
Lan Lan, a curator residing in Sweden and founder of the Nordic Contemporary Art Center (Xiamen), sees the Horse leaping into spring with abundant creativity. As the Year of the Horse approaches, Lan Lan is redefining how to celebrate the New Year with two art feasts that cross national borders and connect hearts—one rooted in a Xiamen fishing village, empowering everyone to become an artist; the other blooming in Austria, facilitating a two-way cultural exchange between China and Austria. From co-creation in a Southern Min fishing village to international dialogue in Vienna, the "horse" serves as a core symbol carrying strength, hope, and connection, writing a creatively vibrant New Year story.
Recently, in Xiamen's Aotou Village, a warm and lively art experience exhibition opened. Unlike traditional "look-but-don't-touch" exhibitions, the most touching aspect of "Imagining the Year of the Horse 2026—From Nordic Forests to Southern Min Fishing Villages" is the "everyone-can-participate" co-creation环节. In the exhibition hall, blank cardboard horse models hung as dynamic installation art. Both adults and children could pick up brushes to freely color and create, then hang their "exclusive little horse" on the display, making their artwork part of the exhibition. Fifty-five artists from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Philippines, Thailand, Armenia, and other countries, alongside Chinese creators, participated. They used multi-media works to depict the diverse aspects of the horse: some hiding the warmth of childhood memories, others interwoven with imaginations of the future. All works ultimately convey the core themes of "strength and hope, running and returning," expressing shared aspirations for the new year.
The exhibition's warmth extends beyond art co-creation to include care for special groups. Simultaneously, the charity exhibition "The Pony's Kaleidoscope—Every Color Shines" was launched, where普通儿童 and children with autism collaborated, using brushes as messengers to express their lively imaginations of horses. At the exhibition, visitors could quietly appreciate a large-scale painting accompanied by beautiful background music, experiencing its childlike innocence and beauty. The exhibition's opening was transformed into a relaxed and pleasant New Year gratitude gathering: there were no professional performers, only ordinary people with passion—villagers spontaneously formed a Nanyue music band playing the rhythms of "living fossils in Chinese music history," friends who love music and dance took the stage impromptu, and models showcased特色服饰 in a fashion show. Everyone released their passion in this feast, practicing Lan Lan's philosophy: "Everyone can be an artist."
Meanwhile, a larger-scale international art event is brewing. The "Hofburg·Light of the Future Art Festival 2026," co-hosted by the UNESCO Vienna Club and several European cultural institutions, will kick off in February. The year 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and Austria and also welcomes the Chinese Lunar Year of the Horse, symbolizing跨越, speed, and vitality. The art festival specially chooses this globally celebrated festival as its temporal coordinate, making it a cultural symbol of "rebirth, reunion, and sharing," and paying tribute to the Spring Festival's inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Lan Lan was appointed by the festival's organizing committee as the curator for the visual arts exhibition section.
"We have invited 55 artists each from China and Austria to participate. Their works will begin a nearly year-long touring exhibition in Vienna: the festival's opening will be held at the Hofburg Palace. Besides the palace, visual artworks will be displayed at the City Gallery, City Hall, and Palace of Justice, with the final exhibition currently scheduled for September. After the festival concludes, all works will be donated to UNESCO for charitable activities," Lan Lan explained. From the cardboard pony co-creation in Xiamen's Aotou Village to the transnational art dialogue at Vienna's Hofburg Palace, Lan Lan connects diverse expressions of "Imagining the Year of the Horse" through these two exhibitions. For the Horse Year's Spring Festival, Lan Lan, carrying new strength and hope, continues to passionately fulfill her role as a cultural "ferryman" showcasing Chinese culture.
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