Approximately 100,000 residents and tourists gathered along the Champs-Elysees to watch the 2026 Chinese New Year parade, according to Xinhua, citing organizers. Spectators filling one of the world"s most famous avenues with a festive atmosphere. Performers dressed in traditional Hanfu (Chinese attires) and presenting Yingge folk dances, which comes from South China"s Guangdong Province, were also part of the procession.

　　The scene drew attention from overseas media including ABC News, while social media users followed the festivities through viral videos, sharing personal celebrations, from festive makeup looks to introductions of Spring Festival customs.

　　The popularity of the Year of the Horse online has been partly linked to the rise of the so-called trend of "becoming Chinese" and "Chinamaxxing," which has introduced more overseas users to Chinese culture. Prior to this, cross-platform exchanges, including on lifestyle platform RedNote, had already been increasing.

　　Australian broadcaster SBS News, in a Sunday report on the Chinamaxxing phenomenon, highlighted the growing cultural exchanges on social media. Quoting Fan Yang, a research fellow on digital technologies at the University of Melbourne, the report said, "There was a lot of breaking down of stereotypes on both sides." The outlet also noted that Chinese culture is being more widely distributed, aided by videos created by foreigners living in China and the expansion of visa-free travel.

　　"The surge of global enthusiasm for the Chinese New Year is closely linked to the improvement of China"s international image. China"s rising economic strength and overall national capability have reshaped how the world perceives the country," Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Chinese language and literature at Peking University, told the Global Times.