As the Year of the Horse approaches, the Guangdong Museum enthusiastically responds to the initiative“Celebrate the New Year in Guangdong” that launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, presenting the 2026 Spring Festival Special Cultural Program—“Harmony Across the Seas: Lingnan Rhymes of the New Year – Museum Wonder Fair” and the “Yuebo (Guangdong Museum) Cruise” themed activities. A cultural feast blending traditional festive customs, intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, treasured collections, and interactive technology will soon dazzle Guangzhou during the Chinese New Year, inviting citizens and visitors alike to embark on a timeless journey through Lingnan culture.
Harmony Across the Seas: Lingnan Rhymes of the New Year – One Fair, Three Scrolls
This Spring Festival, the Guangdong Museum transforms its lobby on the second-floor into an immersive cultural space—the “Museum Wonder Fair.” The event unfolds along three narrative threads: “Savor Lingnan,” “Trace the Silk Road,” and “Embrace Spring Worldwide,” interweaving permanent and special exhibitions into a multi-dimensional experience network—“one festive tradition route” and “three cultural exploration routes”—painting three captivating New Year scrolls.
Visitors, guided by volunteers and experts with exclusive activity booklets, will enjoy a unique “New Year Garden Fair.” On-site workshops will feature intangible cultural heritage crafts, including porcelain collage art, faux lacquerware making, and Chinese New Year blessing card creation, allowing hands-on appreciation of traditional artistry while taking home the festive joy.
Special Exhibitions Brought to Life
“A Century of Bay Area Ties: Cultural Relics of the Greater Bay Area”: Join the “Bay Area Trivia: New Year Blessings” quiz to revisit the shared historical roots of the region.
“Lacquerware: Caton-madeExport Lacquerware in the Qing Dynasty”: Become a “Cultural Relic Detective” in the treasure game, and decode auspicious meanings from the lacquerware with horse motifs.
“Shared Prosperity: A Millennium of Guangdong's Foreign Trade”: Piece together fragments of history through interactive puzzles and Q&A, and learn the open spirit of Guangdong’s mercantile legacy.
“Splendors of the al-Sabah Collection from Kuwait”: Craft “Fortune Red Tote Bags” adorned with motifs like the horse-head rhython and lion-demon statues, and make the Silk Road heritage collide with Chinese New Year customs to enjoy the beauty of cultural diversity
Guangdong’s ‘Along the River During Qingming’ – A Cruise Through History
Beyond the museum, the “Yuebo Cruise” becomes a floating museum on the Pearl River, showcasing Guangzhou’s millennia-old mercantile glory.
3rd Day of Chinese New Year: The “Lacquerware: Caton-madeExport Lacquerware in the Qing Dynasty” exhibition sets sail, featuring expert talks, art salons, themed performances, and interactive games. Guests will pass iconic landmarks while enjoying custom-designed refreshments—a multisensory voyage through Guangzhou’s maritime Silk Road legacy.
5th Day of Chinese New Year: The “Shared Prosperity: A Millennium of Guangdong's Foreign Trade” exhibition launches a Pearl River Study Tour, retracing the routes of Guangdong Customs and the Thirteen Hongs to witness Guangzhou’s evolution from ancient port to modern hub.
In 2026, the Guangdong Museum wields culture as its brush and innovation as its ink to paint a Spring Festival tapestry brimming with warmth, depth, and inclusivity. Whether cruising the Pearl River or exploring global traditions, you’ll partake in this cultural feast as a participant, inheritor, and ambassador.
This Spring Festival holiday, join us at the Guangdong Museum—stroll the fair, cruise the river, enjoy the beauty of artifacts and the happiness of festival —as we welcome spring at the crossroads of history and modernity.
