[Hi, Shandong] Dongying "Enjoy Chinese Festivals" Cultural Events Spark Spring Festival Craze in South Korea

During the period from the Spring Festival to the Lantern Festival in 2026, Dongying City organized ten folk culture exchange events under the theme of "Enjoy Chinese Festivals" across multiple South Korean cities, including Chuncheon, Seoul, and Incheon. Brimming with the spirit of the Chinese New Year and the rich cultural heritage of the Yellow River Estuary, these events sparked a wave of "Chinese New Year fever" across South Korea.
On February 10, the "Enjoy Chinese Festivals" series kicked off in Chuncheon. With just a sheet of red paper, an inkstone, and a calligraphy brush, these simple items instantly filled the room with the spirit of Chinese New Year. Many Korean participants, trying Chinese calligraphy for the first time, held their brushes with quiet concentration as they wrote down their heartfelt wishes. A series of events followed — including the China-South Korea Youth New Year Friendship Gathering, the Dongying Intangible Cultural Heritage Showcase and Performance, and a New Year Paper-Cutting Show — bringing the festive spirit of Chinese New Year to the people of South Korea.

Dongying intangible cultural heritage made its appearance at the China-South Korea Youth New Year Friendship Gathering

Photo by Li Hao

As the Lantern Festival arrived, the cultural festivities spread from Chuncheon to Seoul and Incheon. The exhibits — Guangrao Qi writing brushes, Dongying paper-cuttings, cultural and creative products inspired by Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," and themed merchandise celebrating the ecological culture of the Yellow River Estuary — each told a story of Dongying and China, allowing South Korean friends to experience the warmth and meaning of the Chinese Lantern Festival.

A Dongying Spring Festival Folk Culture Exchange event was held in Incheon, South Korea

Photo by Li Hao

A Dongying Lantern Festival Folk Culture Exchange event was held at the Confucius Institute at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Photo by Li Hao

A Dongying Lantern Festival Folk Culture Exchange event was held at Yonsei University

Photo by Li Hao

This immersive Chinese New Year cultural experience brought the warmth and charm of the season to university campuses and local communities across South Korea. At Yonsei University and the Confucius Institute at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korean students sang classic Chinese songs in Mandarin. During the lantern riddle segment, the answers to the riddles carried rich meanings rooted in Chinese folklore and Dongying culture. At community-based parent-child events, Chinese children's Kuaiban (clapper talk) performances drew repeated rounds of applause and praise. Accompanied by their parents, children crafted paper window decorations and handmade lanterns, their faces breaking into ever-wider smiles.