People watch a lion dance performance during a parade celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Baihui)

　　Organizers said about 100,000 residents and tourists gathered along the Champs-Elysees to watch the 2026 Chinese New Year parade, filling the avenue with a festive Spring Festival atmosphere.

　　PARIS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A human-shaped robot set the pace on Paris's Champs-Elysees on Sunday as hundreds of Chinese and French artists welcomed the Chinese Year of the Horse, blending ancient tradition with futuristic flair on one of the world's most famous avenues.

　　The robot, walking steadily at the head of a parade of around 800 performers, turned, paused and waved to spectators in time with the music, prompting cheers and raised smartphones as crowds lined the boulevard.

　　Organizers said about 100,000 residents and tourists gathered along the Champs-Elysees to watch the 2026 Chinese New Year parade, filling the avenue with a festive Spring Festival atmosphere.

　　The event, co-organized by the Champs-Elysees Committee and the China National Tourist Office in Paris, highlighted growing cultural exchanges between China and France, combining time-honored customs with contemporary creativity.

　　A humanoid robot, invented by a Chinese company and supplied by French technology firm INNOV8 Group, waves during a parade celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Feb. 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Baihui)