Wishing the "old self" a new year at the ice and snow fields, choosing exquisite and fashionable "intangible cultural heritage souvenirs" at the "intangible cultural heritage market", marveling at precious exhibits at museums, and welcoming the vibrant New Year by climbing and running in forest parks... On New Year's Day 2026, people will enjoy their holidays with more diverse cultural and tourism activities. On the evening of December 31, 2025, the waterfront open-air ice rink at the Dream Center on the west bank of Xuhui Riverside in Shanghai was bustling with activity. People enjoyed piano and ice dance performances on the ice, counting down to "5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" to welcome the arrival of 2026. The Yaoxue Ice and Snow World, located in the Lingang New Area, has added an immersive aerial performance called "Fantasy Snow Realm - Starry River Snow Show", attracting over 50000 visitors. Theme parks such as Shanghai Lego Park and Shanghai Happy Valley have also added ice rinks and created artificial snow scenes to enrich people's consumption experience. As a winter tourism "barometer", ice and snow tourism occupies the "C position" during the New Year holiday. According to data from multiple tourism platforms, among the top 20 routes with the highest passenger flow in China during holidays, "ice and snow tourism" routes such as Shanghai and Guangzhou round-trip to Harbin, Zhengzhou round-trip to Urumqi, and Hangzhou round-trip to Shenyang account for as much as 40%, and some flights are sold out early. Shanghai Spring and Autumn Tourism Data also shows that the number of domestic travel product bookings during the 2026 New Year holiday increased by over 50% year-on-year, with ice and snow destinations contributing significantly. Zhou Weihong, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Chunqiu Tourism, introduced that ice and snow sports enthusiasts from the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions are gradually becoming an important passenger flow for ice and snow sports and ice and snow tourism in northern China. In addition to a thrilling skiing experience, many people also participate in activities such as climbing, running, and cycling during holidays, symbolizing a vibrant new year. The New Year's Day climbing event in Sheshan, Songjiang District, Shanghai attracted 4800 citizens and tourists to participate. Interactive check-in points and themed markets were set up along the way, creating a tense yet fun sports and leisure experience. Ice and snow tourism is a 'cold resource that becomes hot', while intangible cultural heritage tourism fills the 'thriving' atmosphere. The Shanghai "Flowing Intangible Cultural Heritage Yangtze River Culture Awards" market is bustling with crowds, and tourists born in the 1990s are fond of products that incorporate intangible cultural heritage techniques and traditional crafts such as mother of pearl, lacquerware, gold and silver filigree craftsmanship, lantern decorations, and pointillism. Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park has launched performances incorporating intangible cultural heritage elements, such as the Nuo Dance Mermaid Show, Bench Dragon, and Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea Colorful Boat Show, allowing people of all ages to experience the charm of traditional culture in lively activities. The search and booking popularity of intangible cultural heritage themed tourism during the New Year holiday has surged by 85% compared to the previous period, and there is a continuous trend of heating up as the Lunar New Year approaches. ”Cheng Chaogong, Chief Researcher of Tongcheng Research Institute, analyzed that more and more young people are falling in love with ancient Chinese culture and becoming "disseminators" of traditional culture through personal experience and interaction on social platforms. Many people choose to celebrate a New Year that is quite "technological" and "artistic". At the Shanghai Natural History Museum, the "Dragon Song Nine Provinces · Chinese Dinosaur Exhibition" attracts high foot traffic. People follow over a hundred dinosaur specimens and important models to explore the survival and evolution stories of Chinese dinosaurs. They also love cultural and creative products such as brooches, bags, and refrigerator stickers developed around dinosaurs. At the World Expo Museum, visitors not only took photos with the sculpture exhibition items from the "Rome: From Olympus to Capitoline" exhibition, but also participated in a workshop where they personally made a mosaic refrigerator sticker. Enriching supply and optimizing services in various regions, promoting the integration of cultural, tourism, commercial, and sports exhibitions, meeting people's tourism and leisure needs, and achieving dual growth in both "traffic" and "retention". Shanghai launched more than 130 New Year's Day themed cultural and tourism activities and more than 120 tourist routes with the first season of the Tourism Strategy Super Competition as the starting point. During the 3-day holiday, it received 6.8203 million tourists and achieved a tourism consumption of 12.271 billion yuan. The average room occupancy rate of hotels in Shanghai was 70%, ushering in a "good start" to cultural and tourism consumption in the new year. The inventory released by major tourism platforms on the 3rd confirms that China's cultural and tourism consumption is active and full of potential. According to data from Ctrip Group, the number of ticket bookings for domestic scenic spots during the New Year holiday has increased by more than four times year-on-year, and the number of bookings related to inbound tourism has also significantly increased. The per capita purchase of tourism products and per capita consumption amount on the Fliggy platform increased by 20% and 30% respectively year-on-year, indicating a dual increase in people's willingness and consumption power. On Qunar Travel Platform, the booking volume of popular destination hotels has increased by 50% year-on-year, covering more than 1000 counties in China; Inbound tourists go to nearly a hundred Chinese cities, and "coming to China to celebrate the New Year" is increasingly popular. Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Research Institute, predicts that by 2026, tourism will accelerate its integration into the daily lives of urban and rural residents, becoming a rigid demand for cultural experience and spiritual enjoyment. The tourism economy will also usher in a new pattern of high development and stable growth. (New Society)