The 2026 "Happy Spring Festival" series will visit four Portuguese cities—Braga, Vila do Conde, Aveiro and Coimbra—through official ceremonies, academic exchanges, cultural experiences and performances, offering Portuguese audiences a comprehensive view of Chinese traditional culture's heritage and contemporary vitality.

Braga — Official launch of the Spring Festival celebrations in northern Portugal

As the first stop, Braga hosts the northern Portugal Spring Festival on February 6. Events at an official city venue include a welcome ceremony, cultural addresses and musical performances to mark the regional opening. On the afternoon of February 6, an academic exchange at the President's Building, University of Minho, will discuss topics such as trilingual education (Chinese, Portuguese and English) and the integration of traditional Chinese medicine, exploring future China–Portugal cooperation in education and technology.

Vila do Conde — Bringing Spring Festival culture to coastal cities

On February 7, Vila do Conde brings Spring Festival culture to northern Portugal's coastal communities with public cultural displays and interactive events—dragon and lion dances, artistic performances and participatory activities—inviting local residents to experience the festival atmosphere firsthand and extending the reach of the "Happy Spring Festival."

Aveiro — University‑wide Chinese culture promotion week

Organized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Aveiro, Aveiro's Spring Festival program runs across multiple institutions on February 20, February 25–27 and March 4, making it one of the most diverse and wide‑ranging segments of this year's "Happy Spring Festival" celebrations in northern Portugal.

Centered on the Chinese Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, activities include thematic exhibitions and lectures, hands‑on calligraphy, tea art and traditional‑clothing sessions, and performances of dance, song, martial arts and lion dance. Interactive Chinese‑language and culture activities for students provide a systematic introduction to traditional culture and deepen local educators' and students' understanding of Chinese history, festive customs and contemporary China.

Coimbra — Academic and cultural Spring Festival celebration in higher education

Jointly organized by the University of Coimbra and its Confucius Institute, Coimbra's event on February 27 is a high‑level Spring Festival celebration held at the President's Building, University of Coimbra. The program features academic conferences and cultural‑arts presentations that emphasize scholarly exchange, humanistic values and the continuation of Sino‑Portuguese friendship, fully reflecting the cultural significance of the Chinese Spring Festival in the context of higher education and intellectual exchange.

(Source: Journal Puxin)