Residents and tourists flocked to Xingmazhou Island on the morning of February 8 as the 2026 Xingmazhou Spring Festival Folk Carnival launched simultaneously on the island and at Dongyao Port. Despite the morning mist over the Xiang River, the ferry terminal in Tianxin District was already bustling with excitement. Participants enjoyed lion dances, folk songs, and a rich atmosphere of traditional Lunar New Year celebrations.
The two-day event, themed “Horse Leaping in Xingzhou, Spring Embarking on a New Journey,” allowed visitors to rediscover nostalgic festival customs and experience living cultural heritage. Registration for the event, conducted through an online lottery system, saw overwhelming public response, with related topics trending locally shortly after registration opened.
Highlights of the opening ceremony included the launch of a “Beautiful Courtyard” design competition, inviting designers to contribute ideas for renovating residential courtyards on the island. The Changsha Commerce Bureau also announced a series of 2026 consumer promotion activities aimed at boosting spending through cultural and tourism integration. Pan Hu, designer of the UN's 2026 Year of the Horse stamp, delivered a keynote speech and presented the first edition of the commemorative stamp to Xingmazhou.
Adopting an innovative “Twin Cores, Two Shores” model, the carnival enabled visitors to travel easily between Xingmazhou and Dongyao Port via shuttle buses and ferries, experiencing distinct festive atmospheres on both sides of the river. On the island, a “Collect Five Blessings” stamp rally encouraged attendees to taste tea, visit markets, and learn intangible cultural heritage skills, with each activity earning a special stamp and a chance to win Tianxin District’s Spring Festival consumption vouchers.
The “Xingma Fine Products” exhibition featured local agricultural goods and cultural creative products, while over 40 folk stalls showcased crafts such as Hunan embroidery, traditional soy sauce brewing, and calligraphy. A recreation of the world’s largest stir-fried “Pork Feast,” supervised by Hunan cuisine master Zhang Junsheng, drew crowds, followed by a communal “Xingma Reunion Banquet” at noon. A separate longevity banquet was held for 296 elderly residents aged 60 and above, with meals delivered to those unable to attend.
To ensure food safety, the Tianxin District Market Regulation Bureau implemented comprehensive supervision through onsite inspections and coordinated emergency response plans with organizers and catering vendors.
At Dongyao Port, a “Spring Market Fair” offered local specialties, street food, and interactive非遗 experiences such as paper-cutting and sugar painting. Performances including God of Wealth parades, folk music, and Yao ethnic dances entertained visitors, while a “South Changsha Food and Fun Map” highlighted dining, shopping, and recreational options across the southern part of the city.
Online engagement was also strong, with Tianxin District partnering with Douyin to distribute “Xingmazhou Spring Consumption Vouchers” to stimulate offline spending. A district commerce official emphasized that the vouchers were designed to link markets, merchants, and consumers, boosting local brands and energizing the holiday economy.
The carnival demonstrated a balanced approach to preserving the island’s cultural and ecological character while creating innovative scenarios combining folk experiences, consumption promotion, and digital engagement. It provided both a tangible sense of traditional celebration and a new model for upgrading cultural tourism and consumption in the region.