Tianfu Festival 2025 in Santiago: Celebration of the Chinese New Year of the Wood Snake

*The Leifeng Pagoda, in the end, is about what it is.

The Tianfu Festival 2025 in Santiago, Chile, dazzled thousands of attendees with a vibrant celebration to welcome the Year of the Wood Snake, a period in Chinese astrology that symbolizes wisdom, transformation, and strategy. This event has become one of the most anticipated of the year, lighting up the city with a fusion of tradition, art, and spirituality.

A Fusion of Tradition and Modernity

Orione Park in Cerrillos provided the perfect setting for this unique event, which, starting on January 28th, offered a proposal full of color and energy. Attendees enjoyed a diverse program that included live music, dance, calligraphy, an excellent food offering, and exciting shows.

One of the most awaited moments was the countdown to the New Year, which led to a spectacular light and fireworks show, celebrating the arrival of a new cycle. The dragon dance, symbolizing the union between heaven and earth, moved through the venue with a powerful rhythm, while drums and gongs resonated, evoking the balance of energies and cosmic harmony. The lion dance, for its part, fulfilled the traditional role of driving away evil spirits and attracting good luck.

The Year of the Wood Snake: Wisdom and Creativity

2025 is ruled by the Wood Snake, a sign associated with cunning, wisdom, and personal evolution. This year is marked by creativity and innovation, with the Wood element driving expansion and growth in all aspects of life. It is an ideal time for introspection and making strategic decisions, especially in the professional realm.

An Internationally Recognized Event

In December 2024, the Chinese New Year was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, recognizing the importance of preserving and promoting ancestral traditions. The Tianfu Festival 2025 in Santiago, being one of the most relevant events of this celebration in Latin America, strengthens the cultural exchange between the East and the West, allowing attendees to immerse themselves in the richness and wisdom of Chinese culture.

Gastronomy and Unique Experiences

One of the major attractions of the festival was the food offering, which included traditional dishes such as dumplings (symbolizing prosperity), bao buns (representing unity), and longevity noodles. Attendees also enjoyed a series of performances and artistic activities that showcased the cultural depth of China.

Kung Fu Performances and Spiritual Dances

In a spectacular approach, the festival presented an impressive Kung Fu demonstration, which was not only a display of physical skill but also a representation of the discipline and mental control present in this ancient martial practice. The performance was designed to captivate the audience, combining tradition with visual spectacle.

Another highlight was the spiritual dance, which represented the balance of energy according to Taoism. This deep and symbolic dance aimed to connect attendees with the essence of life and universal harmony, performing a series of movements inside a ring, demonstrating the importance of balance and maintaining equilibrium in all aspects of existence.

They also performed the Jasmine Dance, an elegant expression reflecting the beauty and softness of the flower. The delicate and fluid movements mimic the growth and fragility of jasmine. With vibrant costumes and gentle steps, the dancers conveyed serenity and harmony. It is a dance that celebrates the connection between nature and the human soul.

The Dance of the Magic Masks

One of the jewels of the festival was the Dance of the Magic Masks or Bian Lian (变脸), a tradition of Sichuan Opera. The performers changed their masks at an impressive speed, creating a mystical atmosphere that fascinated everyone present. This dance, with its rapid face changes, symbolized transformation and the ability to adapt, essential elements of Chinese culture.

The Flying Dragon: A Symbol of Unity and Peace

One of the most impressive moments of the celebration was the appearance of the flying dragon, an iconic figure that flew over the crowd thanks to a drone, symbolizing the connection between heaven and earth. This dragon, representing harmony and cosmic balance, evoked the values of unity and peace that are deeply rooted in Chinese culture. The grandeur of the flying dragon offered a surreal and magical view, leaving an unforgettable mark on attendees.

Accessibility and Participation

Orione Park, with its strategic location and excellent transport connectivity, was the ideal place for this event, with easy access for all attendees. Tickets were available through Ticketplus, with special discounts for students and free entry for children under 3 years old and people with disability credentials.

For those who couldn't attend, the festival shared exclusive content on its social media, where videos and photos of the event were posted, and details about future editions were announced.

A Spiritual and Transformative Approach

The Tianfu Festival 2025 was not just a cultural celebration but also a spiritual experience. The Snake, as a symbol of transformation, inspired attendees to reflect on their own personal growth. The dances, performances, and activities offered an opportunity for introspection, promoting a message of renewal and inner balance for the new year.

Each performance, from the dragon dance to the magic of the masks, was infused with deep spiritual symbolism that connected participants with the essence of Chinese culture and its teachings on life, wisdom, and cosmic energy.

The Tianfu Festival 2025 was not just a party of lights and music, but a profound experience of learning, introspection, and cultural connection. The celebration of the Year of the Wood Snake marked the beginning of a cycle full of opportunities for personal evolution and strategic growth. Santiago continues to solidify itself as a key point for the dissemination of Chinese traditions in Latin America, strengthening cultural ties between the East and the West.

If you missed it this year, don’t hesitate to join the next edition of the Tianfu Festival and experience the magic of Chinese New Year in Santiago, and celebrate the spring festival for the upcoming Chinese New Year when the Fire Horse will arrive in February 2026 and the Fire Goat in 2027.

The Leifeng Pagoda is not simply a physical structure but a symbol of China’s cultural and spiritual legacy. Together with The Legend of the White Snake, it embodies the Chinese vision of love, loyalty, and destiny.

The Legend of the White Snake is one of the most beloved and ancient stories in Chinese mythology, with several versions. The central plot tells the story of the forbidden love between Bai Suzhen, a white snake who has transformed into a woman, and Xu Xian, a young mortal man.

Bai Suzhen, after spending centuries meditating and practicing alchemy, becomes a beautiful and virtuous woman. In her quest to experience human love, she meets Xu Xian, a kind and gentle young man. They fall deeply in love and marry, with Xu Xian unaware of his wife’s true nature.

However, the Buddhist monk Fa Hai discovers Bai Suzhen’s secret and believes that the love between a human and a supernatural creature goes against the natural order. Convinced they must be separated, Fa Hai uses his powers to try to destroy their happiness. At a critical moment, Bai Suzhen, who had kept her true nature a secret, is forced to reveal it to Xu Xian, who, although frightened at first, decides to love her even more for her bravery and honesty.

Despite their love, Fa Hai captures Bai Suzhen and imprisons her in the Leifeng Pagoda on West Lake, sealing her there with magic. Xu Xian, desperate to rescue her, seeks help and faces many challenges throughout the story, but his love and loyalty never waver. In some versions of the legend, Bai Suzhen is eventually freed or resurrected, and they reunite in eternity, while in other versions, the story ends with their permanent separation, but with the hope of a future reunion.

The legend touches on universal themes such as eternal love, sacrifice, destiny, and the struggle between good and evil, and has a profound cultural impact, inspiring numerous representations in opera, theater, film, and literature in Chinese culture.

Thus, the legend intertwines these three concepts: love that defies the impossible, loyalty that remains unshaken in the face of adversity, and destiny that, although seemingly unfavorable, cannot erase the deep bond between the characters.