As the years turn and a new beginning dawns, the 2026 “Warmly Welcoming the Spring·Jointly Celebrating the Chinese New Year” Spring Festival Reception, co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Denmark and the China Cultural Center in Copenhagen, was grandly held in Copenhagen on February 11. Over 300 guests, including Ambassador Wang Xuefeng of the People’s Republic of China to Denmark, Deputy Speaker Lars-Christian Brask of the Danish Parliament, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Denmark Jonas Bering Liisberg, friends from various sectors in Denmark, diplomatic envoys stationed in Denmark, overseas Chinese in Denmark, representatives of Chinese-invested enterprises and students, gathered to celebrate the year of the Horse and renew the profound friendship between China and Denmark.

Mu Xianghong, Director of the China Cultural Center in Copenhagen hosted this event. She noted that as the most important traditional festival of the Chinese nation, the Spring Festival, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, carries the beautiful wishes of family reunion. It has also become a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and a United Nations holiday, serving as a shining card for Chinese culture to go global. Today, nearly 20 countries around the world have designated the Spring Festival as a statutory holiday, and about one-fifth of the world’s population celebrates the Spring Festival together, highlighting the strong appeal and cohesion of Chinese culture.

In his address, Ambassador Wang Xuefeng extended festive greetings to the guests for the Year of the Horse. He stated that in 2025, under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with President Xi Jinping at his core, Chinese-style modernization achieved world-renowned accomplishments. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China outlined the grand blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan development. China and Denmark jointly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and the connotation of the China-Denmark comprehensive strategic partnership was further enriched. It is hoped that in the new year, China-Denmark relations will write a more brilliant new chapter at a relentless pace.

At the reception, splendid cultural performances took turns on stage, bringing an audio-visual feast to the guests. The magnificent lion and dragon dance performances fully demonstrated the majestic vitality of traditional Chinese culture; the melodious coloratura soprano solo “Spring Ballet” won rounds of applause; the chorus of “Prosperous Chinese New Year” and “All the World is Kin and Loves Each Other” pushed the atmosphere to a climax, conveying deep affection for the motherland and best wishes for the Spring Festival. Meanwhile, the “Year of the Horse Zodiac Picture Exhibition” attracted many people to stop and admire, experiencing the culture and charm of the Year of the Horse.

The China Cultural Center in Copenhagen will continue to launch a series of diverse and rich-content “Happy Chinese New Year” activities during the first month of Chinese New Year, injecting new vitality into China-Denmark friendship. In the new year, the people of China and Denmark will continue to move forward hand in hand, with culture as the bond and cooperation as the driving force, jointly writing a new chapter in China-Denmark friendship and cooperation, and contributing to the promotion of building a community with a shared future for mankind.