Foreigners write Spring Festival couplets together with local calligraphers in Sanya on January 31, 2026. Photo: VCG

　　Beneath a clear blue sky and turquoise sea, a gentle breeze ruffles the sand along Dadonghai beach in Sanya, a coastal city in South China"s island province of Hainan. Visitors from around the world bask and lounge on the beach, soaking up a rare winter warmth and the sun"s soft glow.

　　Russian tourist Kseniya Popova cradles a freshly cracked coconut, laughing with friends. She had just been in Sanya for two days, and was already captivated by the scenery. "The beach is just so beautiful," Popova said, drawing a deep breath and smiling.

　　Sanya had ridden a wave of international arrivals ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which fell on February 17 this year. From the arrivals hall at the airport to the city"s popular beaches, and from the eateries and bars that line the streets, even to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy clinics tucked into alleyways, foreign faces and unfamiliar languages are everywhere, the Global Times reporter observed just before the festival. For many of these visitors, the trip to Sanya is probably about more than just sun, sand, and surf. They have come to spend Chinese New Year (CNY) here - to be immersed in a culture whose appeal is gradually extending globally.

　　This festival was also notable for another reason: It was the first CNY since the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) began its island-wide special custom operations in December 2025.