People watch a dragon dance performance in celebration of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, near the Ruins of St. Paul's in south China's Macao, Jan. 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

The Public Security Police Force of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) said that on Friday, Macao's borders recorded 423,000 entries and exits by 5 p.m., with 261,000 of them being visitors and 191,000 being incoming travelers.

This Spring Festival marks its first version after being inscribed in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. Macao injected fresh vitality into the traditional festival with exciting events.

On Wednesday, the first day of the Chinese New Year, the Macao SAR government tourism office (MGTO) organized a community roadshow, "2025 Chinese New Year Activities," at the Ruins of St. Paul's and Senado Square.

A 238-meter-long golden dragon and 18 dancing lions joined the God of Fortune, the three Gods of Happiness, Prosperity, and Longevity, and the Chinese Zodiac Mascot of the Snake to greet and distribute golden ingots to residents and visitors.

Ms. Ji, from Shenzhen, exclaimed: "It's quite impressive." It was her first time coming to Macao with her parents, and they coincidentally arrived just in time for the golden dragon parade. Ms. Fan, who came from Wuhan to celebrate the Spring Festival, arrived at 9 a.m. and secured a front-row spot to watch the golden dragon.

"This is my fourth time in Macao and my first time experiencing the Chinese New Year here. The Chinese dragon, lion dance, and other traditions reflect the rich essence of Chinese culture," she said.

"The celebration activities bring a lot of traffic to the stalls, and normally, the business will get even better after the third day of the Chinese New Year," said Lei Hong Soi, a shop owner on the souvenir street in the old town of Macao.

On Friday night, the "Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Snake" dazzled the central district of Macao with 17 parade floats, and the first session of the Chinese New Year Fireworks Displays was performed right after this.

The tourism office said the parade and fireworks displays were once again listed by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the "Happy Chinese New Year" celebrations, which shows the charm of Macao's "tourism+events."

Friends from all over the world are welcomed to Macao, said MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes. "Take a stroll around our city and experience the rich cultures and exciting elements of Chinese New Year," she added.