November 25, 2025

On November 25, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released the mascot “Lucky Horse” for the 2026 “Happy Chinese New Year.” The “Lucky Horse” draws its design inspiration from the Eastern Han bronze galloping horse — “Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow” unearthed in Wuwei, Gansu. It adopts the mane decoration style of the Tang Dynasty’s piebald horses, uses Chinese red as the main color, and is embellished with classic traditional patterns such as auspicious cloud motifs and ruyi motifs, reflecting the warm and festive atmosphere of the Chinese Spring Festival. The image of the “Lucky Horse” was designed by the mascot design team of the Central Academy of Fine Arts for “Happy Chinese New Year.” China Tourism Group is responsible for the market development of the mascot and will successively launch cultural and creative products such as plush toys, blind boxes, and refrigerator magnets, as well as festival items such as Spring Festival couplets, red envelopes, and lanterns. The “Lucky Horse” image and related cultural products will be widely used in the 2026 “Happy Chinese New Year” events, bringing new highlights to Spring Festival celebrations around the world. The “Happy Chinese New Year” event is hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and has been held for 25 consecutive years since 2001. The “Happy Chinese New Year” mascots were officially introduced in 2023, using the Chinese zodiac as the core imagery to convey New Year blessings to the world.