SPRING Festival is just around the corner, and there are plenty of festive activities at Mission Hills in Longhua District for people to indulge in the Chinese New Year celebrations. Upon exiting Metro Line 4’s Mission Hills Station, visitors will find themselves immersed in a joyful atmosphere at the Mission Hills Shenzhen resort. Starting last weekend, a parade has been walking around with members dressed in traditional hanfu clothing and carrying dragon fish-shaped lanterns. Visitors also have the opportunity to try traditional folk arts such as shadow puppetry and balance toys. A Chinese New Year market featuring floral decorations, handwritten couplets, popular Chinese cuisines, and creative handicrafts will be showcased at MH Mall. Alongside the delightful shopping experience, there will be a large-scale paper-cutting activity involving 100 participants. Led by intangible heritage inheritor Wang Ning, several artisans will guide local residents and tourists in creating paper-cutting works depicting the dragon. Once completed, the works will be assembled to form a magnificent 10-meter-long dragon. The Mission Hills Cherry Blossom Festival has returned. Unlike previous years when it was only open during Spring Festival, the first batch of cherry blossoms is now available to the public at Mission Hills Ecological Sports Park. A total of 1,000 cherry blossom trees and 300 peach blossom trees will be displayed in three batches. Additionally, there will be a 1,000-square-meter landscape filled with snapdragon flowers for photo opportunities in the park. Visitors can enjoy clown magic performances, savor exquisite food, and take pictures at various Spring Festival-themed locations. This is the eighth consecutive year that Mission Hills Shenzhen resort has hosted the Cherry Blossom Festival. Various types of cherry blossoms, such as Ichigoyae, Yoshino, and Hongying, will come together to create a romantic cloud-like scene. This year’s festival will last until Feb. 25. From the first to the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the resort’s Spring Festival market will see folk performances take turns on the stage, including lion dances, magic shows, acrobatics, and traditional Chinese dances, offering citizens and tourists an uninterrupted feast of folk culture. During the Spring Festival, Mission Hills Resort Hotel is offering special Chinese New Year’s Eve dinners and auspicious dishes such as “Dragons Soaring Across the Seas,” creating a vibrant festive atmosphere. One of the notable features of the resort is its pet-friendly accommodations. Guests staying at the hotel have the opportunity to participate in a photo contest by uploading pictures of their pets wearing New Year costumes. Prizes such as camping afternoon tea and buffet meals are up for grabs for the winners. Mission Hills Maker has set up various photo spots, including auspicious dragons, southern lions, kylin and fish lanterns. Throughout the Spring Festival, artisans will be demonstrating traditional crafts such as glass blowing, indigo dyeing, paper-cutting. Visitors can enjoy exhibitions showcasing handmade zodiac creations, calligraphy and painting, as well as Chinese handicrafts. Furthermore, visitors can participate in creating their own unique handmade crafts themed around the Year of the Dragon. In addition to craft-making, visitors can also engage in activities like printing with dragon motifs, trying their hand at Lu Ban locks, and enjoying traditional games such as throwing pots. Venues: MH Mall and Mission Hills Ecological Sports Park, Longhua District (觀瀾湖新城和觀瀾湖生態運動公社) Metro: Line 4 to Mission Hills Station (觀瀾湖站), Exit A or B (Windy Shao) | 