As the New Year's bell is about to toll, Qingdao unfolds a grand celebration that blends ritual with vibrant life, and tradition with innovation, using its mountains and sea as a canvas, culture as ink, and trendiness as a brush. From online gatherings attracting tens of millions to city-wide, in-person carnivals; from the passing on of intangible cultural heritage to the thrilling collision of ice-and-snow trends, this city of red tiles, green trees, blue seas, and clear skies invites citizens and tourists to feel its warmth and embrace beautiful hopes for the future through a rich variety of New Year's Day activities.
Trendy Fun Across the City: Forging a New Year's Eve Brand Inspired by its Mountains and Sea
Qingdao offers more than one way to celebrate New Year's Eve. Embraced by mountains and the sea, the city deeply integrates its natural gifts with trendy business formats, creating festive scenes that cover all areas and cater to all ages, ensuring everyone can find their own sense of New Year's ritual.
The "Hello, 2026" New Year's Eve Gala at the Olympic Sailing Center connects trendy performances with maritime experiences through its exclusive "Chasing Gulls, Riding Waves on the Orange Sea" route, letting the sea breeze and songs ring in the new year together. As Qingdao's only night-time ski resort, Zangmashan Ski Resort combines snow sports with electronic music parties, where speed and passion are unleashed on the slopes during extended hours of revelry.
Furthermore, the Mingyue Shan Hai Jian Cultural and Tourism Block is expected to be packed with visitors. In previous years, it received nearly 100,000 visitors on New Year's Eve, setting a new record. A lantern exhibition themed on the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing) will illuminate the night sky, complemented by intangible cultural heritage performances, bonfire parties, and fireworks shows, allowing visitors to experience the charm of "Guochao" (China-chic) and the vibrant atmosphere of daily life amidst the interplay of light and shadow. It is reported that Qingdao's Mingyue Shan Hai Jian, the nation's first Guochao-themed cultural and tourism district inspired by the Classic of Mountains and Seas, will be officially lit up at the end of December. Its four free themed lantern zones—"Elegant Guochao," "Mythical Beasts of Mountains and Seas," "Adorable Star Realm," and "Deep Forest Mystery"—will create a fantastical world of interwoven light and shadow.
New Year's Revelry: Greet the New Year "Facing the Sea" in Qingdao
Behind the New Year's Eve festivities lies Qingdao's commitment to preserving and passing on its cultural roots. The city blends intangible cultural heritage skills and traditional folk customs with the New Year atmosphere, revitalizing ancient culture in the new era and adding cultural depth to the holiday.
With the launch of the 2025 "Winter Fun in Laoshan" Cultural and Tourism Season, activities such as mountain climbing, praying for blessings, and enjoying hot springs are all available in one stop. On New Year's Day, the annual "Taiping Morning Bell" event, a New Year's climbing and blessing ceremony, will take place as scheduled in the Laoshan Scenic Area. Thousands of citizens and tourists will gather to welcome the new year in the traditional way of climbing high and looking afar, experiencing the dual joys of exercise and prayer, immersing themselves in a rich festive spirit.
In addition, venues like the Qingdao Thean Hou Temple and the Former German Governor's Residence Museum will add a strong cultural flavor to the New Year's Day with their unique activities, highlighting the city's philosophy of enriching its people through culture.
A Heartwarming Bond: A Mutual Embrace Between the City and Its People
A successful New Year's Eve celebration is not only a showcase of a city's vitality but also a testament to the mutual affection between the city and its people. Qingdao's New Year's Day events are always centered on the needs of its citizens and tourists, using thoughtful services and heartwarming scenes to ensure every expectation is met and the city's warmth touches every heart. To cater to different groups, Qingdao has launched integrated products combining various formats, such as "hot springs + ancient town homestays" and "ice and snow + fruit picking," allowing families to enjoy quality time, young people to unlock trendy experiences, and elderly tourists to enjoy wellness and leisure.
From listening to impromptu jazz at Xiao Qingdao Park and Qinyu Road, to witnessing the sunset lighting ceremony on Qinyu Road, and strolling between cultural and creative markets and coastal scenery—a romantic New Year's Eve route that merges nature, art, and history. At Fantawild Dreamland, amid enchanting castles and amusement rides, people await the midnight bell and dazzling fireworks, which energize the New Year's rituals… Through its diverse activities and meticulous services, Qingdao makes every visitor feel the city's inclusiveness and warmth, achieving a win-win for both cultural tourism consumption and citizens' well-being.
The mountains and seas are calling, and a vibrant new year is dawning. Qingdao's New Year's celebration is a meeting of trend and tradition, a fusion of nature and humanity, and above all, a pact of companionship between the city and its people. As the first rays of the new year's sun touch the shores of the Yellow Sea, those moments of festivity, cultural immersion, and heartwarming memories will become the city's most moving footnotes. In the new year, Qingdao is set to write a new chapter for this city of mountains and sea with even greater vitality and deeper cultural heritage.
Editor: Yuan Ruichen
