Op-ed: When red lanterns light up the Maldivian blue: Experiencing Chinese vibes in the Maldives

The following is an op-ed by Kong Xianhua, the Chinese ambassador to Maldives.

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For the Maldivian people, Ramadan embodies the steadfastness of faith, inner peace, and the refinement of character. It is also a time of family reunion, mutual support, and heartfelt prayers for the future. For the Chinese, the Spring Festival—also known as the Chinese New Year—is the most cherished traditional celebration, carrying the values of family unity, gratitude, and hope for the year ahead. Though shaped by different cultures and traditions, these two occasions share a common aspiration for a better life.

According to the Lunar Calendar, the Spring Festival usually falls in January or February. It is the most ceremonious, the warmest, and the most unifying time of the year for Chinese people. During the Spring Festival, Chinese people return home to reunite with their families and enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner together. Every household puts up red Spring Festival couplets and the character 福（"Fu"） for good fortune, and hangs red lanterns and Chinese knots.

Recently, the Chinese Embassy in the Maldives hosted the 2026 Spring Festival Reception, inviting Maldivian friends, foreign envoys and representatives, as well as Chinese citizens live, study and work here in the Maldives to celebrate the Spring Festival together. On behalf of His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, Dr. Ismail Shafeeu, Minister of Education extended warm greetings and sincere wishes, and highlighted the close and longstanding ties of friendship between the Maldives and China.

At the reception, Divehi songs and traditional Maldivian dances shared the stage with Chinese artistic performances, adding a festive atmosphere to the event and serving as a vivid illustration of the cultural exchange between China and the Maldives. Even more gratifying is that news reports of the Spring Festival Reception were featured on China Central Television News, allowing 1.4 billion Chinese people to witness the profound friendship demonstrated by China and the Maldives celebrating the Spring Festival together.

In 2024, the Spring Festival was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making this traditional celebration a cultural event truly shared by people around the world. With its growing international influence, the Spring Festival is evolving from "China's New Year" into a "World New Year".

Recently, "Becoming Chinese" has become a trending topic online. The Spring Festival is the perfect time of "Living the Chinese Vibe". As China's unilateral visa-free policy has expanded to cover 50 countries, inbound tourism by foreign tourists continues to rise. The Spring Festival attracted more than 1.3 million international tourists from over 160 countries and regions to visit China. I hope more Maldivian friends could also visit China —to feel the unique charm of fine traditional Chinese culture and to experience the real China, a country full of vitality, confidence, and openness.

During the Spring Festival, there was an unprecedented travel boom. Domestic trips within China reached nearly 600 million, with total spending exceeding 800 billion yuan. Meanwhile, the surge in outbound tourism allowed countries around the world, including the Maldives, to share in the opportunities of the Spring Festival.

China remains the largest source of tourists to the Maldives, with over 320,000 Chinese tourists visiting in 2025. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment reported that a 27 percent surge has been observed in the number of visitors to Maldives from China as of February 25, 2026, compared to the same period last year. Many resort islands decorated with Chinese elements and prepared dragon and lion dances and Chinese cuisine to welcome guests from afar.

On the streets of Malé and across the resort islands, Chinese tourists are a familiar and vibrant presence—walking along sun-kissed beaches, snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, savoring local cuisine, and browsing for souvenirs. Immersing themselves in the warmth and hospitality of the Maldivian people, they also contribute to the development of the tourism, hotels, catering, and handicraft industries, bringing tangible benefits to more Maldivian families. With the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the income of the Chinese people will steadily increase alongside economic development. I believe that more Chinese tourists will be drawn to visit the Maldives for renowned azure sea and clear sky.

The joyful start of the Spring Festival augurs well for China and promises enormous vitality for the world. This year is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar, and the Chinese character for "horse" shares a phonetic resemblance to "Maldives" in Chinese pronunciation. I believe that in the new year, China will join hands with the Maldives as well as the global community, to gallop forward and move forward together.