As night fell on February 1, the Novi Vrbas Station on the Hungary-Serbia Railway was illuminated by a striking shade of Chinese red.

On the platform, lights shimmered against the night as trains passed one after another. The festive spirit of the Chinese Spring Festival lingered gently over the night sky of northern Serbia.

Red is the color of the Chinese national flag. Lighting the station in red symbolized the joy of welcoming the Chinese New Year and conveyed warm wishes for the enduring and ever-strong "ironclad friendship" between China and Serbia.

The Hungary-Serbia Railway is a flagship demonstration project of the Belt and Road Initiative in Central and Eastern Europe. It connects the Serbian capital Belgrade with the Hungarian capital Budapest, with a total length of about 350 kilometers. The Serbian section spans approximately 183 kilometers and is designed for a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour. On October 3, 2025, the entire Serbian section officially opened to traffic.