On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, coinciding with the celebration of the “Spring Beginning (立春)”, the special opening ceremony of the “New Year in the Museum” program titled “Urban Search for the Zodiac Sign” was held within the framework of the cultural brand “Meeting on the North Band”. Members of the Iranian Institute for Belt and Road Studies attended the event as international guests. The program, based on museum heritage and centered on the culture of the Chinese New Year, which is named the Year of the Horse, was held in various artistic formats.

A group of prominent artists, cultural figures, and activists from various fields were present at the opening ceremony. Live creation of artworks was one of the highlights of the program; including the joint creation of the work “Eight Horses” and the performance of three-dimensional paintings, ceramics, and calligraphy, which showcased the connection between tradition and contemporary Chinese art. On the sidelines of this event, representatives of the Iranian Institute for Belt and Road Studies discussed with the organizers and cultural activists areas of cooperation in the fields of art, cultural diplomacy, joint museum programs, and utilizing the potential of the creative economy within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Earlier, the head of the Iranian Institute for Belt and Road Studies, Engineer Ebrahim Yousefnejad, visited the museum’s residence in Shanghai and, while examining areas of cooperation, informed the museum officials about the process of translating and publishing the book “The Last Six Hundred Days of Joanne Lai”, which will soon be published by the institute.