The year 2024 began with a rare blizzard that disrupted Spring Festival travel plans across China and ended with a major consumption push. In the interim, Zheng Qinwen’s underdog run to gold at the Olympics ignited a tennis craze, the success of “Black Myth: Wukong” rocked the gaming industry, and the country’s new energy vehicle industry went into overdrive.
Here are 30 photos that capture the moments that defined China’s 2024, as selected by Sixth Tone’s photo editors.
People visit Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai, Feb. 5, 2024. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone
A “youshen” parade in Changle District, Fujian province, Feb. 16, 2024. Youshen, which literally means “wandering gods,” is a folk tradition in rural Fujian dating back to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) in which villages hold joyous parades and other celebrations to welcome the spring and pray to local gods and deities. VCG
Men on scooters in a snowstorm in Anyang, Henan province, Jan. 15, 2024. VCG
Villagers carrying a large frog lantern take part in a parade to celebrate the Frog Festival in Sanhui Town, Nanchong, Sichuan province, Feb. 23, 2024. Held on the 14th day of the Lunar New Year, the Frog Festival is a local custom in northern Sichuan in which residents attempt to drive out disease. VCG
People livestream Zhao Mei’s dating show at Wansui Mountain in Kaifeng, Henan province, March 30, 2024. Better known by her stage name, Wang Po — a reference to the classic novel “Water Margin” — Zhao has been catapulted from obscure tourism worker to nationwide star. VCG
F1 racer Zhou Guanyu reacts during the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit, April 21, 2024. Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images/VCG