Cities across China have held colorful cultural and tourism events to mark the arrival of the year 2021 while ensuring strict implementation of regular epidemic prevention and control measures.

Thanks to a rich variety of online and offline events and activities like exhibitions, experiential activities, live-action performances, concerts, and New Year countdown galas, Chinese people enjoyed themselves during the three-day New Year holiday as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to rage across the globe.

A performer plays the Zheng, a 21 to 25-stringed plucked classical Chinese musical instrument similar to the zither, in Tianya Haijiao scenic spot in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province. (File photo)

On Dec. 31, 2020, an exhibition of art treasures and wares from the Shenyang Imperial Palace, built in 1625 and used as the imperial palace in early Qing Dynasty (1616-1911 AD) in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning province, kicked off in the National Museum of China in Beijing.

With over 200 items housed in the Shenyang Palace Museum and over 30 items in the National Museum of China on exhibition, the event marks the first systematic exhibition of precious cultural relics from the Shenyang Imperial Palace in Beijing, vividly reflecting the etiquette, customs, art and culture in the imperial court of the Qing Dynasty.

The Nanjing Museum in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu province, held an informative event on New Year’s Eve. Focusing on three main subjects, namely science and technology, culture and art and people’s life, the event invited celebrities to share experiences and knowledge with the audience with the help of immersive exhibitions and performances.

Guests invited to the event were talents from all walks of life such as Gong Liang, director and curator of the Nanjing Museum, Bi Feiyu, a well-known writer, Tang Limei, the first female scientist who dove into the ocean in China's manned submersible Jiaolong, and Zhao Ruirui, former member of China’s women volleyball team and Olympic champion.

While 400 people attended the event at the Nanjing Museum, 11.5 million people watched over a live stream.

A craftsman teaches children how to make handicrafts with bamboo strips in the International Intangible Cultural Heritage Town in Xiuhu Park of Bishan District, Chongqing municipality in southwest China. (Photo/Hu Yuejian)

To attract more tourists, many attractions across the country have combined local culture and tourism products.

In the International Intangible Cultural Heritage Town in Xiuhu Park of Bishan District, Chongqing municipality in southwest China, tourists not only marveled at the creative and cultural products inspired by intangible cultural heritage such as sugar painting and bamboo carving, but also actively participated in traditional activities including dancing with bamboo poles and shuttlecock kicking.

“Once you are in International Intangible Cultural Heritage Town, you become a craftsman. Not only can you appreciate intangible cultural heritages and buy relevant cultural and creative products here, but you can also experience the charm of intangible culture heritages yourself,” an official of the town said.

During the New Year holiday, visitors to Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county in Chongqing have enjoyed splendid performances of traditional folk dances and songs of the Miao ethnic group presented by local artists in colorful traditional ethnic costumes.

In Nanchang, capital of east China’s Jiangxi province, a grand immersive live-action performance featuring the Tengwang Pavilion, one of the three most notable pavilions in southern China, was staged on the evening of Jan. 1, 2021.

It was a great idea to have performers dressed as historical figures of Jiangxi in the show, said audience member Zhao Tong, noting that the use of digital holography gave the live-action performance a stunning visual effect.

New Year celebrations in Tianya Haijiao (“Edges of the heaven, corners of the sea”) scenic spot, a famous landmark in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province, included a rich variety of activities. Besides enjoying drama, music, speeches, movies and camping, visitors were also provided with tasty food and parent-child activities.

During the holiday, various online entertainment events and offline stage performances were also launched to cater to people’s diverse needs, such as online concerts held by China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, New Year countdown galas across various TV stations, as well as a 37-day performance tour started by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe on Dec. 27, 2020. The troupe plans to stage Kunqu classics in 20 shows in Chinese cities including Beijing, Nanjing, and Changsha.

According to statistics, China’s movie box office exceeded 600 million yuan (about $92.8 million) on the first day of 2021, a record high in about a decade. Chinese feature film "A Little Red Flower" led box office charts on the mainland during the holiday, grossing over 700 million yuan by Jan. 4. The movie was followed by Chinese comedy "Warm Hug," which garnered over 500 million yuan in box office revenue as of Monday.