Tangshan celebrates Chinese New Year with month of activities

Various activities have been kicked off in Tangshan, Hebei province, to provide visitors with exciting experiences and a festive atmosphere during the upcoming Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 29.

A series of Spring Festival park tour activities involving celebratory events, amusement activities and artistic performances will be held from Jan 16 to Feb 15, with hundreds of Chinese and foreign performers coming together to participate.

A large-scale live performance in the style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) kicked off at the city's storied Hetou Old Street with a spectacular start.

According to historical records, Li Shimin, an Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was once stationed at the nearby Dacheng Mountain. Afterward, the mountain was called Tangshan, which the city eventually adopted, according to Beijing News.

The show offered stunning visual effects, with various performances, including equestrianism, acrobatics and traditional Chinese opera.

In addition to the performances, thousands of lanterns illuminated both sides of the river running through the city.

Situated about 150 kilometers southeast of downtown Beijing and about 100 km northeast of Tianjin, Tangshan has emerged as a popular destination in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region for its rich tourism resources, such as lantern shows at the Nanhu Lake scenic area and Tangshan Banquet — a food-themed museum and an indoor cultural and tourism complex primarily focused on catering.