On January 31, 2026, the 8th annual “Chinese Stories · Chinese New Year” Chinese Canadian Spring Festival Gala was successfully held at
Meridian Arts Centre · Lyric Theatre in Toronto.
Elected officials, community leaders, cultural organizations, and audiences from diverse backgrounds gathered to celebrate the Chinese New Year through a vibrant evening of arts and cultural exchange.
As part of the 2026 “Happy Spring Festival” series within the Consular District of the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto, the Gala was themed “Telling Chinese Stories, Celebrating the Chinese New Year.”
The event was jointly presented by the Canadian Association of Chinese Reporters, CCTVmedium (Canadian Vision Media), and the Vaughan Multicultural Community Association, and was professionally produced by the Canadian Performing Arts Alliance, ensuring high artistic and production standards throughout the evening.
Mr. Cheng HongBo, Deputy Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto, attended the Gala and joined guests in celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Mr. David West, Mayor of the City of Richmond Hill, along with several city councillors and community representatives, was also present, reflecting strong support from local government for multicultural cultural initiatives.
The Gala opened with the festive Spring Festival Overture, followed by a rich lineup of performances including youth dance, Chinese opera dance, crosstalk, classical and contemporary dance, vocal music, martial arts, and cross-cultural works.
A woodwind quintet performance of Horse Racing, led by National First-Class Musician Long Jiang, stood out for its creative fusion of Chinese musical imagery with Western classical instrumentation.
Dance works such as Lantern Shadows, Blooming in the Town, and the Mongolian folk dance Respect highlighted the depth and diversity of Chinese dance traditions, while hip-hop and K-pop performances brought modern energy to the stage. Traditional Chinese opera excerpts from The Legend of the White Snake and a Persian music-and-dance performance further demonstrated the evening’s emphasis on intercultural dialogue.
Among the dance performances, the Mongolian folk dance Respect, presented by YangYang Dance Studio, drew particular attention for its technical difficulty and visual impact.
The piece features a traditional bowl-balancing technique, with each dancer performing while balancing real bowls on their heads throughout the choreography. The precision, balance, and control required highlighted both the dancers’ technical mastery and the expressive strength of Mongolian folk dance traditions.
A high-energy K-pop Dance performance by Deer Hunter & Team brought a contrasting contemporary flair to the stage. With sharp synchronization, dynamic movement, and strong stage presence, the street dance routine energized the audience and showcased the creativity and vitality of the younger generation within the community.
The Gala concluded with the duet China Stories, reinforcing the event’s core message of cultural storytelling and shared celebration.
The organizers noted that the “Chinese Stories · Chinese New Year” Gala, now in its eighth year, has grown into one of the most recognizable Chinese New Year cultural events within the Chinese Canadian community, serving both as a cultural gathering for overseas Chinese and as a platform for broader cultural understanding.
The organizers would like to extend special thanks to China Construction Bank (Canada) – Toronto Branch, along with other sponsors, partners, and community organizations whose support made the successful presentation of the Gala possible.
