A humanoid robot set the holiday pace on Paris' Champs-Elysees earlier this month as hundreds of Chinese and French artists welcomed the Year of the Horse, blending ancient tradition with futuristic flair on one of the world's most famous avenues.

The robot, walking steadily at the head of a parade of nearly 800 performers, turned, paused, and waved to spectators in time with the music, prompting cheers from the crowds that lined the boulevard.

According to organizers, about 100,000 people gathered along the Champs-Elysees to watch the 2026 Chinese New Year parade, filling the avenue with the festive atmosphere of Spring Festival.

The event, organized by the Champs-Elysees Committee and the China National Tourist Office in Paris, highlighted growing cultural exchanges between China and France, combining time-honored customs with contemporary creativity.

The robot, invented by a Chinese company and supplied by French technology firm INNOV8 Group, quickly became one of the parade's most talked-about features, adding a lighthearted technological twist to the festivities.