People view Spring Festival decorations during a 2026 Chinese Spring Festival celebration in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 8, 2026. Cairo's Swiss Club hosted celebrations on Sunday for the 2026 Chinese Spring Festival, welcoming the Year of the Horse with food, art and performances that drew nearly 1,000 Egyptians and more than 200 Chinese residents. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cairo's Swiss Club hosted celebrations on Sunday for the 2026 Chinese Spring Festival, welcoming the Year of the Horse with food, art and performances that drew nearly 1,000 Egyptians and more than 200 Chinese residents.

Organized by the Bayt Al-Hekma Cultural Group, the event blended Chinese and Egyptian traditions through interactive cultural stations, where visitors tried calligraphy, paper-cutting and lantern-making. Food stalls offered traditional Chinese New Year dishes.

Students studying Chinese performed folk music and short theatrical pieces, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Ahmed al-Saeed, chairman of Bayt Al-Hekma, said the gathering was "a living dialogue between two great civilizations," calling it a chance for Egyptians to express their appreciation for Chinese culture.

Ali El-Hefny, vice chairman of the Egypt-China Friendship Association, said he was pleased to celebrate with the Chinese community in Egypt and highlighted the long-standing people-to-people ties between the two countries, dating back to the Silk Road.

For some attendees, the festival offered hands-on cultural exposure. Haneen El-Sayed, a Chinese language student at October 6 University, said the event helped her better understand Chinese holiday traditions, including gift-giving, festive foods and seasonal activities.