Winter festival in Toronto blends Chinese tradition with technology

The founder of the Toronto Spring Festival Fireworks Celebration said the event seeks to blend tradition with innovation while strengthening people-to-people ties between China and Canada following Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent visit to China.

This year is the second edition of the celebration, which was held Feb 14-15 at Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto.

Blur Wu, founder of the fireworks celebration, said the inaugural event last year generated attention beyond expectations.

"We had a huge response. It was basically citywide attention and buzz," Wu told China Daily.

Wu said his team analyzed aerial footage using artificial intelligence to estimate attendance.

"At the peak moment, we had 33,000 people, and the total flow throughout the day was 50,000," he said. "It reached our expectations in terms of both attendance and public attention."

Encouraged by that response, the organizing team significantly expanded this year's program.

"This year is a very large-scale upgrade," Wu said. "Everything has basically doubled."

The festival expanded from one day to two and introduced heated infrastructure to improve the winter experience.

"We invested heavily in two giant heated tents with central heating so people can enjoy the Spring Festival more comfortably," he said.

Beyond fireworks, Wu noted the integration of Chinese technological innovation into the celebration, including robot performances and immersive augmented reality experiences showcasing Chinese cultural heritage sites.

"The Spring Festival is traditional, but I believe technology has already become part of Chinese culture," Wu said. "The combination of tradition and modern technology represents the image of China today."

"We are bringing robot dance to Canada for the first time," Wu said. "In China it's already very common, but here it has never appeared in this kind of festival."

Wu said such elements are meant to reflect what he sees as China's transformation.

"China today has a completely new image. From culture to technology, there is a lot of creativity," he said. "Technology is leading. Electric vehicles are leading. We want people to gradually understand that."

The festival comes after Carney's visit to China and the friendly agreement reached between the two countries. Wu said cultural initiatives at the grassroots level can play a constructive role in strengthening bilateral ties.

"I think people-to-people efforts are easier to accept," he said, adding that the warming of relations creates opportunities.

"China-Canada relations are starting to warm up," Wu said. "This is a very good time to do more to bring the two sides closer through cultural exchange."

Wu said the long-term goal is to establish the festival as a winter cultural landmark in Toronto.

"We hope it can become something people in Toronto enjoy every year — an iconic winter event," he said.

Hosting a large-scale outdoor celebration in winter presented logistical challenges, including heavy snowfall that required significant snow removal efforts. Still, Wu said winter timing also gives the festival visibility.

"In the summer, there are 20 festivals every weekend. In winter, we are the largest outdoor festival," he said. "For promoting Chinese culture, this timing is very interesting."

Wu said the organizing committee is not driven by profit but by long-term cultural impact.

"We are not running this for profit. We just hope it can balance," he said. "Most importantly, we want to build a better image and create a platform for communication."

As fireworks lit up Nathan Phillips Square for the second year, Wu said the event reflects both heritage and renewal.

"We bring new elements into tradition and show a more modern image of China," he said.