#China #Beijing #New Year Celebration #798 Art District

A Colorful New Year at Beijing's 798 Art District

As the clock ticked down the last moments of 2025, Beijing's 798 Art District transformed into an expansive outdoor art exhibition, merging creativity, technology, and vibrant public engagement. This spectacular event, aptly named "Starts New Year with Art 2026," drew an impressive crowd of almost 130,000, who came together to celebrate the dawn of a new year in style.

The celebration was organized across an impressive 520,000 square meters, featuring over eight thematic sites and hundreds of accompanying programs. Unlike typical countdown events that focus solely on the clock, this gathering centered on contemporary art, industrial heritage, and collective public participation.

Throughout the night, nearly 200 galleries, museums, performance spaces, and businesses extended their hours, creating a unique cultural ecosystem. Attendees enjoyed an incredible mix of exhibitions, live music, dazzling light displays, and vibrant creative markets that blurred the lines between culture, commerce, and public space.

This year's countdown was innovative, favoring six synchronized countdown sites over the usual single clock. The most striking feature was the iconic chimney number six, adorned with "Woven Light Chronicles," a stunning digital art piece led by artist Wang Zhigang. This installation transformed the industrial symbol into a vertical canvas of light, captivating visitors as they waited for midnight.

Nearby stood the massive oil reservoir known as the "79 Tank," which hosted "Endless Circle," another temporary light installation created using robust concrete and steel. Additionally, grand LED screens and substantial projections along Power Square, Twin Tower, and the surrounding factory walls ensured everyone could witness the approach of 2026.

Public participation was a highlight of the evening. A newly expanded installation titled "Dear Beijing, Happy New Year" became a popular photo spot, while illuminated trees displayed handwritten wishes from visitors. Throughout the venue, playful installations encouraged attendees to symbolically leave behind the stresses of the past year.

Performances throughout the district delighted visitors, engaging with public art in new ways. The folk-rock band Wu Tiao Ren and electronic group Nova Heart headlined the main stage, while interdisciplinary works fused live music, visual arts, and dance, creating an immersive experience. Traditional culture took center stage as well, with performances including classical dances, fish lantern parades, and contemporary lion dance reinterpretations that captivated the crowds.

As a designated national nighttime cultural and tourism hub, the 798 Art District is committed to positioning art as a catalyst for urban vitality. Many of the installations created for the event will remain on display through the holiday season, allowing the festivities to extend into the early days of 2026. This blending of art, culture, and community engagement ensures that this New Year’s event was not just a celebration but a symbol of creative resilience in Beijing.

For more information about the event and future happenings at the 798 Art District, please visit 798 Art District.