A Fashion Island programme paired Chinese New Year traditions with destination marketing, presenting winter festivals, heritage sites and snow-and-ice experiences to Orange County audiences.
China National Tourist Office in Los Angeles was scheduled to host a Chinese New Year celebration and winter travel showcase at Fashion Island in Newport Beach on February 28, 2026. The programme was designed to bring Spring Festival culture to Southern California while presenting China as a winter travel destination. CNTO in Los Angeles positioned the public event as both a cultural experience and a destination-marketing exercise aimed at local residents and visitors.
Set in Fashion Island’s paseo, The Hideaway, the programme was to feature holiday-themed installations, a community photo backdrop and cultural programming inspired by Chinese New Year traditions. The setting placed the activation within a major coastal retail and dining destination, allowing the China National Tourist Office in Los Angeles to reach audiences outside traditional tourism and trade environments. Promotional content was also scheduled to appear on Fashion Island’s digital screens during the activation.
Visitors were expected to encounter lantern displays, themed decorations and informational exhibits focused on winter festivals, UNESCO heritage sites, culinary traditions and snow-and-ice destinations across China. Featured experiences included the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, snow-covered sections of the Great Wall, traditional lantern festivals and scenic winter celebrations. The material also highlighted the Mudanjiang-Jiamusi High-Speed Railway in Heilongjiang, described as a 372-kilometre line linking Mudanjiang and Jiamusi.
The programme reflects a narrow but notable shift in destination promotion: winter is being presented not merely as a travel off-season, but as a distinct product built around seasonal food, festivals, ski resorts, imperial landmarks and ice events. CNTO Director Dawei Wu described Chinese New Year as both a cultural celebration and a major travel season in China, while the organisation said the event was intended to support cultural exchange and inspire travel.
The China National Tourist Office in Los Angeles is the overseas representative office of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with responsibility for promoting travel to China across the Western United States. Its Fashion Island presence connected that institutional role with an accessible public setting and a calendar moment associated with one of China’s most important festivals. The approach leaves the organisation with a simple proposition for American travellers: China’s tourism offer extends beyond familiar spring and autumn imagery into a more deliberately promoted winter season.
