1.

The culture and traditions of China's Longtaitou Festival

The traditional Chinese Longtaitou Festival, or Dragon-Head-Raising Festival, falls on the second day of the second month on the traditional Chinese calendar every year, and recognizes the start of spring and farming. This year it falls on March 1.

Ancient people believed that after this day, rainfall increases because the rain-bringing Dragon King has awakened from his winter sleep.

A well-known phrase goes, "Er yue er, long tai tou," meaning, "On the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts his head."

2.

The festival celebrates ancient agrarian Chinese culture, and while some of traditional ways to celebrate it are no longer practiced, others persist.

The most famous tradition is getting a haircut. Some believe that going to the barber on this day gets rid of bad luck, while others believe getting a haircut during the first month of the traditional Chinese calendar brings bad luck.

Another saying warns that cutting your hair in the first month will cause your uncle to die. Although today few pay attentions to it, it was once tradition to line up outside barber shops on the day of Longtaitou, having avoided haircuts for the preceding month.

3.

The culinary traditions of Longtaitou Festival

People eat tofu balls in East China's Fujian province during the festival, and often make tofu and vegetable balls to pray for family and business. Fried beans are the traditional festival fare for people in parts of Shandong province.

Eating chengyao cakes, which are made with sticky rice, during the festival is tradition in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, in tribute to the saying, "If you eat chengyao on Longtaitou, your waist won't hurt all year."

Meanwhile other foods, like dumplings, spring rolls and popcorn, are named after dragon body parts to mark the day. Noodles are dragon's beard (long xu), dumplings are dragon's ears (long er), spring rolls are dragon's scales (long lin), and popcorn dragon seeds (long zi).

4.

Jiang Wen leads 7-member jury panel for Beijing film festival

The 15th Beijing International Film Festival announced on Thursday that Jiang Wen, a renowned filmmaker known for blockbusters like Let the Bullets Fly, will serve as the jury president of the Tiantan Award, the annual event's top honor.

The other six jury members are actress Joan Chen, British director David Yates, actress Ni Ni, Finnish director Teemu Nikki, Swiss director-actor Vincent Perez, and Hong Kong art director Tim Yip.

5.

According to the organizers, the Tiantan Award competition has received a total of 1,794 film submissions from 103 countries, marking a remarkable 18.9 percent increase from last year's 1,509 films.

The 15 shortlisted films competing for the 10 awards include three Chinese films: actress Ma Li's drama Better Me, Better You, the suspense tale Deep in the Mountains, and the crime film Trapped.

As one of the festival's highlights, nearly 300 outstanding Chinese and foreign films will be screened about 900 times across 33 cinemas in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

6.

Besides, Ne Zha 2, the most commercially successful Chinese film, which has stormed into the world's all-time box-office list as the fifth highest-grossing, will feature an exhibition of hand-drawn posters by its director, Yang Yu, better known as Jiaozi (Dumpling).

The festival also announced that Chen Sicheng, a veteran filmmaker who has made contributions to the industrialization of Chinese cinema, will serve as the president of the final jury for Project Pitches, a sector aimed at identifying and nurturing promising new creative forces for the domestic industry.

The festival will be held from April 18 to 26.

7.

Dance drama Thunderstorm makes Beijing debut

Following its premiere in Shanghai last July, dance drama Thunderstorm embarked on its first nationwide tour, visiting six cities — Nanjing, Suzhou and Yangzhou in Jiangsu province, Wuhan in Hubei province, Changsha in Hunan province, and Zhengzhou in Henan province.

As the dance drama is a stage rendition of playwright Cao Yu's eponymous classic play, a special commemorative edition of the dance drama made its Beijing debut on March 29, with two performances from March 29 to 30 at Poly Theatre.

8.

The Beijing edition was joined by Shan Chong, artistic director of China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, eight dance artists such as Shen Xubin, Sun Qiuyue and Zhao Lei, as well as young dancers from Shanghai Theatre Academy's dance college.

According to the production's chief director Zhao Xiaogang, the performance centers on eight main characters. Each character is portrayed in vivid detail, aiming to allow the audience to explore the complex emotions of each role.

9.

Shanghai Oriental Art Center is the chief producing company of the production. "Created to honor a classic, dance drama Thunderstorm innovatively adapts classic texts for a stage with contemporary aesthetics and spirit, reflecting the evolving aesthetics of Shanghai Oriental Art Center and its creations," says Lei Wen, general manager of the center.

10.

Blossoms of spring

Nation welcomes the 'clear and bright' fine days of Qingming

With the approach of Qingming, one of 24 solar terms, which means "clear and bright", the icy grip of winter has loosened. Warmth is spreading with the blow of gentle breeze. The country is brimming with blossoms and green grass, vivid and lively. It is now an apt time to go for a spring outing.

It is a time-honored custom to take a spring outing during Qingming. In the past, the people of China believed that after sheltering indoors during winter, both body and heart need to be refreshed by the embrace of spring, and a walk close to nature would be beneficial for their health. Just as one ancient scholar said, "It is a fine day the Qingming day. You may enjoy yourself outside but do not forget to go back."

11.

Spring is in full bloom nationwide. From the blossoms and green willow in South China to the new flowers after the snow in Heilongjiang province and the spring train winding through a profusion of flowers at the foot of the Great Wall at Juyongguan, these scenes create a magnificent portrait of a beautiful China. They capture the diverse charms of the country and the vigorous energy of spring around Qingming.

12.

China sweeps 4 golds on third day of Diving World Cup in Guadalajara

GUADALAJARA, Mexico - China continued its dominance at the 2025 World Aquatics Diving World Cup in Guadalajara, sweeping all four gold medals on the third day of competitions on Saturday, along with one silver.

The women's 10m platform final saw a thrilling showdown between two Chinese stars. Chen Yuxi took the gold with a solid performance, scoring 419.35 points to edge out teammate Quan Hongchan by 4.95 points. Britain's Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix finished with the bronze.

13.

"I made some mistakes in the prelims, so it felt good to make the right adjustments in the final," Chen told Xinhua after the match. "But strangely, the dives I did well in the prelims didn't go as well in the final."

Quan, who finished second, said the result was within her expectations. "I wasn't doing that great in training at home, so I think I did okay here," she said.

In the women's synchronized 3m springboard final, the Chinese pair Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani led from start to finish to claim the gold with a total score of 323.79.

14.

The men's 10m synchronized final was a tight contest in the early rounds, with Mexico and China trading leads. But Chinese divers Zhu Zifeng and Cheng Zilong held their nerve in the last two rounds to secure the title with 449.49 points.

The final event of the day was the men's 3m springboard. China's Wang Zongyuan delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 540.15 to take the gold, finishing 82.70 points ahead of Mexican diver Juan Manuel Celaya Hernandez. Colombia's Luis Felipe Uribe Bermudez came in third.

15.

Wang congratulated the silver medalist after the event: "Celaya is a very promising athlete. We push each other to become stronger, and that's what makes competition great."

The World Cup concludes Sunday with finals in the men's 3m synchronized, women's 10m synchronized, women's 3m springboard, and men's 10m platform.

16.

Shyness can't stop a star from shining

Pop singer Zhou Shen's world tour includes stops in Seattle on March 5. Zhou was the only Chinese-language artist whose album ranked among the top 20 in global sales last year. Deeply inspired by Chinese tradition, he also cooperates with artists from other cultural backgrounds.

Introvert's sold-out concerts make Mandarin more popular, Minlu Zhang reports in New York.

'Iam not a confident person," that is the phrase musician and singer Zhou Shen has repeated most often in past interviews. Yet, he was the only Chinese-language artist whose album ranked among the top 20 in global sales last year.

17.

"Because I am not very confident, I want to say this at the concert: 'If someone as ordinary as me can do it, you can, too.' Everyone tends to underestimate themselves, especially those of us with reserved personalities.

"It's easier for us to downplay our abilities. Don't underestimate yourself. The light I have comes from all of you," says the singer.

The Chinese pop star launched his first global concert tour 9.29Hz World Tour earlier this year, marking a major milestone in his career. The tour is his third solo concert series but his first to expand beyond China.

18.

Known for his soaring vocal range and emotive performances, the 33-year-old artist rapidly rose to fame recently, earning acclaim nationally and internationally.

Last year, Zhou ranked 11th on the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart. The ranking, released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, measures worldwide sales across streaming platforms, downloads and physical copies.

The IFPI recognition comes as Zhou's popularity continues to grow internationally. Last year, he became one of a handful of Chinese artists to rank on the global sales chart, joining crossover stars like Jay Chou.

19.

Industry analysts attribute his success to strong fan support in China and increasing interest in Mandopop (popular Mandarin music) worldwide.

"I first got to know him from my girlfriend. He's a very talented singer, unlike anything I've ever heard. He sings very well and is very impressive," David Noack from Austin, Texas tells China Daily as he waits with his girlfriend to enter Zhou's New York concert.

Noack, whose girlfriend dressed in hanfu — traditional Chinese attire — with her hair arranged in a classical updo, laughs as Noack says: "Even though I don't understand Zhou's lyrics, it's still beautiful."

20.

Noack says Zhou's music sparked his interest in Chinese culture, describing it as "a way of opening up to culture".

Most Western pop music sounds "more bassy or there's a bit more hip to it," says Noack. "The style of his singing is almost classical for me as an American," he says.

"A lot of the singers I've heard from China are very good. There are a lot of good singers and I can appreciate more than just Zhou," he adds.

Mandopop has expanded significantly on the global music scene in recent years. The genre saw 45 percent growth in streaming in 2023, according to the annual Wrapped campaign by Spotify, the world's most popular audio streaming service.

21.

"It's incredible to see Mandopop consumption growing globally as Spotify continues to connect music cultures with audiences worldwide, showcasing a slate of extraordinary talents, both seasoned and emerging, driving music discovery," says Kossy Ng, Spotify head of Music in Asia in a news release.

Zhou, one of Mandopop's foremost artists, has seen his debut overseas tour generate unprecedented demand with tickets for his opening show selling out within 15 minutes.

His North American shows are experiencing such intense popularity that additional performances were added only to sell out again immediately, including a New York concert that expanded to accommodate 14,000 fans and still reached full capacity.

22.

On the social media platform Sina Weibo, the hashtag for Zhou's world tour has surpassed 1.42 billion views with 32.5 million discussions. When the singer posted his tour announcement, it was shared over 1 million times.

When Zhou heard his shows were selling out, he laughed and said: "I feel kind of bad. It's like someone's listing all my accomplishments."

Anna Serdetchnaia traveled from Toronto, Canada to New York for Zhou's concert because she couldn't get the tickets in Toronto.

23.

"They were sold out even before the sale started. You could not get tickets, which is why I came here," Serdetchnaia tells China Daily. "It's amazing to see a Chinese singer get this recognition."

"His voice is so beautiful, and he has so much emotion when he sings. I never thought I'd be able to see him unless I went to China, so it's exciting to see him live," Serdetchnaia says.

"I studied Chinese and lived in China, but my love for his music encourages me to dive back into it. He's an incredible ambassador. I hope this opens doors for more Chinese singers to tour here. We have Korean and Japanese artists, but not as many from China. He's paving the way," she adds.

24.

Zhou says he was "truly surprised and grateful" to hear Serdetchnaia's story. "Most of my songs are in Chinese, so I never expected foreign fans to connect with them," he tells China Daily during an exclusive interview.

"My music is more classical and emotional, not the upbeat style that usually gets global attention. This means so much to me," he says.

Zhou says he has seen some of his international crew members at his concerts sway to Chinese songs like Good Luck Comes and moved to tears by Blossoms Forget Sorrows.

25.

"In those moments, I stop thinking about bringing my music to global platforms, realizing that touching listeners' hearts is already a singer's greatest blessing," Zhou says.

A dramatic discovery

Many of Zhou's international fans first discovered him through Chinese television shows. Commonly called "C dramas", these programs have seen a surge in international popularity, with several series becoming global hits.

According to China's National Radio and Television Administration, TV dramas represent the most exported category of Chinese audiovisual content, comprising 80 percent of overseas distribution in 2023 and reaching audiences in over 200 countries and regions.

26.

China also has the highest number of domestic television viewers worldwide and produces the most drama episodes per year.

Desarae Young was first introduced to Zhou through the soundtrack of a Chinese TV show The Untamed. Later, she saw him on Keep Running, a Chinese variety show she loves.

"I've always been drawn to Chinese TV shows — the historical elements, the production quality, and the sound design. There's a level of professionalism in these shows that you don't always see in American productions," Young tells China Daily as she waits to enter Zhou's concert in New York.

27.

She says her Chinese cultural intake includes dramas like War of Faith, The Wolf and The Untamed.

"He can do so much with that voice, it's insane. His whole repertoire is very powerful. He's got great English songs too, and his music incorporates traditional Chinese elements, which I've always been a fan of," says Matt Rakowski, who accompanied Young to the concert.

Last year, Zhou also performed at the United Nations Chinese Language Day. The topic of his UN performance garnered more than 180 million views in a week and more than 1.72 million posts included it on Sina Weibo.

28.

His song Big Fish has become a starting point for people to find a way to understand Chinese culture, with more than 2 million views on YouTube.

Serdetchnaia from Canada says it was exciting to see that. "He went from not being taken seriously as a young singer to becoming this big, respected name. It's cool to witness."

Zhou says: "I believe many international fans first discover Chinese music through recommendations from our overseas Chinese community when they tell their friends, 'Hey, there's this Chinese singer with really beautiful songs'. This helps non-Chinese speakers experience our music."

29.

"Chinese audiences focus heavily on lyrics when listening to music, while international listeners might pay more attention to the composition and melody. Though our perspectives differ, we can use music's universal language to share the emotional essence of Chinese songs," he says.

Built from tradition

Zhou has built his career by fusing traditional Chinese music with contemporary pop. His songs frequently incorporate elements from classical Chinese poetry and centuries-old folk melodies. His work's signature feature is the integration of Chinese opera techniques into modern pop arrangements, a style that has become his trademark.

30.

Zhou has been expanding his artistic approach by collaborating with international musicians. These cross-cultural projects maintain his characteristic Chinese roots while exploring new global influences.

During this year's Spring Festival Gala by China Media Group, Zhou's performance of Eagle and Orchid blended Chinese folk music with Peruvian melodies.

"I'm open to all opportunities to fuse our music and other cultures' styles. But these collaborations can't be forced. Our performance with Juan Diego Florez at the Gala was truly serendipitous."

31.

The challenge was in maintaining the essence of both the Peruvian Song of the Eagle and China's Shaanbei (northern part of Shaanxi province) folk song Lan Huahua (Orchid) while creating harmony.

"We experimented extensively to preserve each piece's emotional core and melodic character. These distinct narratives shared enough resonance to blend beautifully," Zhou says.

"Such organic collaborations will naturally emerge when the time is right. I hope to share more Chinese music with global audiences, of which the first step of being heard is always worth taking," he says.

32.

Born in 1992, Zhou grew up in a family from a mountain village in Hunan province. Up until the age of 6, he was often left at home by his parents when music became his most precious companion.

He describes himself as an introvert, which "isn't easy", he says.

He uses a metaphor about personal growth: "Many people feel like they become side characters in someone else's story, but everyone starts as a supporting character. You need to play those roles first before you can start writing your own script. You can't always be the side character. It's a slow process. I can't give you answers because I'm still searching too."

33.

Zhou spent over 10 years going from being a "regular guy" to one of China's biggest music stars. He began his career by singing cover songs on social media. He gradually gained followers and caught the attention of The Voice of China, a spinoff of The Voice, the US television singing competition.

With his world tour sold out everywhere, Chinese fans abroad say the shows feel like they are celebrating Chinese New Year. "We haven't seen this many Chinese people together in so long," many concertgoers told him.

"To me, that's the highest compliment. In our culture, when someone sings or dances exceptionally well, people say 'You should perform at the Spring Festival Gala!' When audiences use this comparison, I feel incredibly proud," Zhou says.

33.

After graduating from high school, Zhou was faced with family and academic pressures and he abandoned his musical aspirations to become a medical student in Ukraine. After a year, he decided to quit and applied to the Lviv National Music Academy.

The singer says he wants to "give people that feeling of home and warmth" through this world tour. "It's what I missed most when I was overseas. If I can be a small part of creating that warmth even for a brief moment, I believe it can plant seeds of comfort in their hearts and help them become their best selves," he says.