“The exhibited fusion of ancient Chinese culture and British heritage landmarks is something entirely new for the UK, and shares stories of China’s millennia-old artistic craftsmanship.” 

Jing Wei, Founder at UK Sunshine Digital

As the annual Chinese New Year approaches, also known as the “Spring Festival,” this year marks the Year of the Snake. In Chinese culture, the Year of the Snake symbolises wisdom, resilience, and renewal, bringing new hope and profound cultural significance to the year ahead. 

Officially recognised as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from last year December, this Year of the Snake marks the first Spring Festival after this international recognition. The Chinese New Year has evolved into a global cultural affair, and London – a hub of international creativity – is among the destinations where the celebration shines the brightest. In addition to the iconic Chinese New Year festivities at Trafalgar Square, this year’s events feature many unique and creative expressions of Chinese culture and art.

To understand how to create an innovative and distinguished Chinese New Year event in London, we speak with Jing Wei, founder of UK Sunshine Digital, a distinguished UK-China public relations and marketing agency. Wei also serves as the head of Asia Desks for several illustrious British brands.

To celebrate the Year of the Snake, UK Sunshine Digital has spearheaded a series of online and offline moments, blending Chinese traditions with British cultural landmarks. In the digital sphere, UK Sunshine Digital leveraged popular Chinese social media platforms such as Red Note (Little Red Book), Weibo, and WeChat to build an interactive connection between British icons and global Chinese audiences, and worked closely with Chinese e-commerce giants including Alibaba Tmall and JD.com to craft Chinese New Year holiday campaigns, boosting interaction and sales of British brands on these ECommerce platforms. A particularly notable event was a live-streamed Chinese New Year Shopping Festival this month, attracting tens of thousands of Chinese consumers who actively participated in an in-depth broadcast.

Founder Jing Wei says, “London is immensely rich in history, culture and craftsmanship, with copious home businesses boasting a heritage spanning centuries. Chinese New Year is the greatest festival in China, and it’s an ideal time for consumers to purchase gifts for their loved ones. Over the past few years, Chinese consumers have increasingly turned toward niche, high-quality British brands that have a compelling story and purpose. It is crucial for us, as specialists who understand both markets and cultures, to help these establishments tell tales that resonate with Chinese audiences. Conceiving and hosting impactful moments around meaningful Chinese festivals that evoke emotional connections with consumers is paramount.”

Offline, London has hosted Chinese New Year celebrations for numerous years. The challenge lies in launching innovative yet culturally significant events that appeal to both British and Chinese art and fashion enthusiasts. For the 2025 Spring Festival, UK Sunshine Digital has curated a series of moments at Burlington Arcade, an historic London landmark known as the jewel of Mayfair. These events not only pay homage to China’s rich traditions but also offer a distinctively British flair, presenting an extraordinary cultural experience for the overseas Chinese community.

Jing Wei has long been dedicated to promoting cultural, artistic, and business exchanges between the UK and China. Bringing China’s intangible heritage to the UK whilst showcasing British craftsmanship to China is Wei’s dearest passion. Last year, she and her team brought the immersive performance of Guangdong Chaozhou Yingge Dance to the UK, which welcomed wide acclaim from British audiences. The same year, UK Sunshine Digital hosted VOGUE China’s emerging designer showcase during London Fashion Week, introducing cutting-edge Chinese talent to one of the world’s top fashion moments.

Commenting on the Year of the Snake celebrations at Burlington Arcade, Jing Wei says, “Promoting Chinese culture in the UK requires deep knowledge and practice of both Eastern and Western aesthetics, and a solid understanding of Western audiences’ cultural preferences, who increasingly appreciate intimate, exquisite and niche art forms. This year, we’ve introduced the ancient and elegant incense-making art of China’s imperial court, along with the traditional craft of lacquered fans which became significant during the Eastern Han Dynasty and reached their peak in craftsmanship during the Tang Dynasty; here, they were prized collectibles amongst the royal family and nobility. Over time, lacquered fans became more accessible to the public, with their techniques evolving over centuries, creating a unique artistic style that has come to represent Chinese art. Many British citizens experienced ancient Chinese incense-making and lacquered fans for the first time through this Year of the Snake celebration in London. The fusion of China’s ancient culture with a historic British landmark in this innovative and inclusive city has created a vibrant intersection of Eastern and Western cultures. At Burlington Arcade, we’ve chosen the vibrant and positive colour yellow as the theme to create the festive atmosphere of Chinese New Year, complemented by decorative elements symbolising the Snake from the Chinese zodiac. The event has attracted significant attention from British mainstream society.”

One of the highlights of this Year of the Snake celebration is the introduction of Chinese imperial incense-making techniques and the thousand-year-old craft of lacquered fans into Burlington Arcade. Representatives from both the British and Chinese art communities gathered to experience the live demonstrations of “Goose Pear Scent” and the making of lacquered fans.

Interactive art installations such as a Chinese wishing tree at Wei’s client, the renowned Hakkasan restaurant – whose backdrop features Chinese paper-cutting art – add to the festival’s London impact. The eatery’s drinks menu features ice cubes inspired by Chinese seals, and the dishes and desserts are infused with Chinese aesthetics, sparking considerable interest and discussion in the city. “Incorporating thoughtful, creative installations and combining both Eastern and Western aesthetics into online and offline acti, while driving consumer engagement and sales, is key to executing successful Chinese New Year events,” she concludes.