A street vendor makes Tangqiu, or tanghulu – a traditional snack with sugar-coated hawthorn berries on a stick – at the 2024 Qingdao Turnip, Yuanxiao and Tangqiu Fair. [Photo by Wang Haibin/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Qingdao's top Spring Festival event, the 2025 Qingdao Turnip, Yuanxiao and Tangqiu Fair, is set to take place from Jan 29 to Feb 13, spanning 16 vibrant days. Featuring 49 activities and over 200 community folk culture events, the celebration aims to foster a unified and festive atmosphere for Chinese New Year.

This year's festival will introduce several significant changes from previous editions, notably the extension its duration.

In order to enhance the Spring Festival experience, the 2025 Qingdao Turnip, Yuanxiao and Tangqiu Fair will focus on two key phases: Celebrating Chinese New Year at Liyuan and in Qingdao's Shibei district.

The Spring Festival activities held at Liyuan will run from Jan 29 to Feb 8, spanning eight days, primarily hosted at the Dabaodao tourism and leisure block. This phase will feature Kung Fu Panda performances, Chinese New Year-themed light displays, traditional blessings, folk performances, a Spring Festival market, and more, creating an engaging atmosphere for all ages and building anticipation for the main event.

The festivities in Shibei will run from Feb 6 to 13, also spanning eight days and featuring a series of events across three venues, namely Dabaodao tourism and leisure block, Haiyun Temple, and the Zhongche Sifang Locomotive Park venue, where competitions such as Tangqiu (tanghulu) making, radish carving, and lantern making, as well as distinctive parades, themed exhibitions, fashion shows, trade markets, and other activities, will be held. The aim is to highlight Qingdao's traditional festivals and urban vibrancy, promoting the integration of culture, commerce, and tourism.