A series of interactive activities to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival is on display from Wednesday to Saturday at the First Historical Archives of China in Beijing, inviting visitors to experience the traditional customs of the festival.

The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) emperors had a special ceremony to welcome the festival. On the eve of every Chinese New Year, they stayed alone to write their wishes for the new year on a small piece of yellow paper, asking for favorable weather, peace, and harmony in governance and among the people. The paper was then placed in a box without showing others what they had written. The custom lasted until the end of the dynasty.

At the First Historical Archives of China, visitors can use black ink to trace over a copy of the characters written by Emperor Qianlong in 1786 and write their own wishes for the new year.

They can also use copies of seals from the archives and take part in a Spring Festival fair where they can taste special pastries, draw traditional paintings and make rubbings of auspicious words.

In addition, from Wednesday to March 3, the archives is collaborating with multiple institutes to host a further series of Spring Festival activities.

Participants can explore the Beijing Central Axis and its surrounding areas, including museums, commercial districts, popular check-in spots online, and villages of different ethnic groups. Upon reaching any designated location, they can stamp a smart seal on the online check-in map to complete the check-in. Based on the number of check-ins they complete, participants can redeem them for corresponding tiered souvenirs at designated locations.