As 2025 draws to a close, 2026 – the Year of the Horse – is just around the corner! The first light of the new year is on its way, and a breathtaking 1,300-kilometer-crossing visual feast is set to unfold at Mutianyu Great Wall on New Year's Day 2026. The Yuqi "Jinglei" ("Thunderbolt") Dragon Dance Troupe from Huishan District of Wuxi is answering the Great Wall's call once again!
When the east breaks dawn and the first golden rays pierce the sky, here you'll witness the majestic sight of the rising sun sweeping over mountains and dyeing the ridges red. What's more, you'll experience the awe-inspiring power of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) performances.
After wowing the whole nation from the top of the Great Wall on New Year's Day 2025, the Yuqi "Jinglei" Dragon Dance Troupe – a group of ICH guardians composed of deaf performers – will return to Mutianyu Great Wall on January 1, 2026. With their silent dance, they pay tribute to the new year's first light!
Unable to hear the drumbeats or thunderous rhythms, they precisely catch every beat through the tacit understanding of sign language and the vibrations of the ground. Deprived of the passion of music, they express a power more stirring than sound through the waving dragon bodies and leaping movements. Every swing and every jump is a defiance against fate, a dedication to traditional culture, and a cry for a better life!
Their 2025 performance moved countless people to tears. In 2026, they will return to the Great Wall with even more fervent love, framing the ICH dragon dance with the New Year's sunrise. Let the silent power pierce the sky, and let traditional culture shine its brightest under the perseverance of this special group!
This New Year's Day, embark on a mutual embrace of passion and emotion. When the passion of the silent dragon dance collides with the pulse of Chinese civilization, Mutianyu Great Wall on New Year's Day 2026 is destined to become the focus of the whole network!
Here, you'll find the dual shock of nature and humanity, as well as the passionate bloom of life and love. Don't wait! Mark your calendar for New Year's Day dawn, be there in person to feel the excitement at the Great Wall. Let's count down together, greet the first ray of morning light, pay homage to thousands of years of civilization, cheer for the power of life, and embark together on a new year full of hope and awe!
