Recently, multiple regions in mainland China have issued notices to cancel New Year’s Eve activities this year, including fireworks displays, New Year’s parties, and large-scale public events. Analysts believe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) fears that public sentiments may escalate “out of control” in the current social environment, with slogans like “Down with the Communist Party” being shouted and quickly spreading, resulting in unpredictable consequences.
In Guangdong, Guangzhou Public Security announced on the 26th that popular areas such as Beijing Road, Dongshan Kou, Huacheng Square, and both sides of the Pearl River would not host New Year’s countdown events. Security control measures and temporary traffic controls are being implemented, with a reminder for citizens not to bring flammable items and to avoid gatherings.
Officials in Shaanxi also announced that New Year’s countdown events and light shows would not be held in the Bell and Drum Towers area in Xi’an, and malls will close at regular hours. Several subway stations in Xi’an will be closed on New Year’s Eve, and trains will pass through without stopping.
Additionally, officials in Henan’s Zhengzhou, Anhui’s Hefei, and Jiangsu’s Suzhou have also declared that they will not organize large-scale New Year countdown and New Year’s Eve events in city centers.
Some originally planned countdown events in certain areas have been canceled as well, such as Suzhou Center Mall only operating until 10 p.m. on the 31st, and Suizhou’s “New Year Music Carnival Night” being canceled due to “force majeure.” Qingzhou and Jinan in Shandong announced measures to avoid large gatherings, canceling outdoor New Year’s Eve events and music carnivals; Tianjin has banned city-wide fireworks and canceled fireworks displays at theme parks.
Canadian veteran media personality and writer Ms. Sheng Xue told Epoch Times that New Year’s Eve celebrations happen every year worldwide. Therefore, the CCP’s cancellation of New Year’s activities is not a temporary security measure but a highly politicized social control decision. New Year’s Eve events can be anticipated, planned, and managed, and what truly concerns the CCP is not the “gathering” itself, but spontaneous gatherings that are beyond its control.
She pointed out that over the past decade, the CCP has on one hand overseen large-scale official New Year’s activities, while on the other hand, has been highly vigilant towards spontaneous movements by the public. During this same period, the CCP has organized political mass activities, red commemoration days, and themed exhibitions, indicating that a large crowd in itself is not scary; what is frightening is a crowd that is not under its control. Any spontaneous, unpredictable gathering is automatically assumed to be a potential risk by the CCP.
She cited the cancellation of fireworks shows in Hong Kong as an example, stating that “it is particularly clear that this is not a technical or budgetary issue but a fear of emotions getting ‘out of control’ in gatherings.” Against the backdrop of economic decline, high unemployment rates, real estate collapse, and the erosion of middle-class confidence, New Year’s Eve is seen as a potential trigger for social resonance of emotions. Since the Umbrella Movement, this fear has become a reflex for the CCP.
Sheng believes that the CCP is now in a state where “the more mistakes they make, the less they dare to make mistakes, and the more mistakes they make.” New Year’s Eve could stimulate consumption and boost domestic demand, but it has been suffocated, effectively delivering an economic blow to itself.
Australian veteran media figure and political doctor Lin Song also analyzed for Epoch Times that multiple regions in mainland China have simultaneously canceled official New Year’s Eve activities in 2026. The surface reason given is that there are “security risks from crowd gatherings,” but the core reason is the CCP’s extreme fear: the possibility of political slogans emerging in a large gathering and spreading rapidly, leading to a scene going out of control.
“Just a few people shouting ‘down with the Communist Party’ might incite others to follow suit, and the CCP is very concerned about this.”
He emphasized that in the current social environment, where medical, labor, and livelihood disputes erupt frequently, social trust is rapidly eroding, and emotions have been building up, all that is missing is an outlet.
Moreover, New Year’s Eve possesses three key elements: a highly dense crowd, strong emotional resonance, and symbolizes a political metaphor of “ending the old year, starting the new.” In such a setting, “as long as someone openly shouts ‘down with the Communist Party’ at the scene, even if it initially starts with just a few people, it could rapidly escalate.” “If someone publicly shouts anti-Communist slogans at the New Year’s Eve event and gets a crowd response, that would be a political level of uncontrollability.” For the CCP, it’s not just a single public security incident, but a “demonstration effect and chain reaction.”
Lin Song pointed out that intense, non-standard purges within the military and a vacuum in personnel management represent the extreme distrust of loyalty and stability levels among the senior echelons. “Xi Jinping does not trust those high-ranking officials. In this context, any unpredictable gathering of the public is seen as a potential risk point.”
Former mainland Chinese media figure Zeng Jieming also believes that due to the deep crisis of its regime’s legitimacy, the CCP has become highly insecure. The symbolism of New Year’s Eve is too strong: a time point + group gatherings + emotional release, these three combined inherently clash with the highly tense political security logic.
“The CCP is now afraid of all public activities initiated by the people, especially activities with large crowds. As long as it’s not under their control, they see it as having ulterior motives, or even being controlled by foreign forces. The economic collapse has deepened the CCP’s anxiety over regime security.”
Lin Song believes that such actions by the CCP have brought serious consequences upon itself, “the more strictly the CCP controls, the more dissatisfied the public becomes.”
He mentioned that canceling festive activities directly impacts the most basic living feelings and emotional outlets of the people, causing them to question: “Why can’t we celebrate New Year? Why can’t we have some fun?” This will only lead to a vicious cycle: stricter control causing deeper resentment, resulting in more instability factors, prompting the CCP to escalate control measures.
Sheng also stated that under diplomatic setbacks, internal failures, and ineffective propaganda, the CCP increasingly cannot tolerate anything uncontrollable. The result will only be a more indifferent, depressed, and atomized society, with emotions being pushed underground, ultimately raising unpredictable risks.
She stressed that for young people, New Year symbolizes hope and transition, and canceling it will only lead to emotions flowing back into the system itself. Just as many netizens have said: “If you’re even afraid of celebrating New Year, is this regime so fragile that it is already on the brink of collapse?”
As Chinese society faces numerous issues and grievances abound, the CCP not only fears public gatherings turning disruptive but also lists monitoring online public opinion as a top priority in maintaining stability. Authorities demand strict monitoring of anti-government speech and actions and require grassroots street offices to report any abnormal situations promptly. With no outlet to express themselves, the public has started resorting to posting various slogans opposing the CCP’s tyranny in the streets.