On 26 February, Ambassador Wang Xiaolong attended the 2026 Auckland Lantern Festival together with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister for Ethnic Communities Mark Mitchell, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, former President of Auckland Chinese Community Centre Kai Luey, and other guests in Auckland.

Photo by Sun Xueliang

Photo by Vicky Lu

The opening ceremony featured performances such as Kunqu opera and lion dances, which were warmly received by the audience. The attending guests jointly lit the lanterns to mark the opening of the festival and toured the event site.

Photo by Sun Xueliang

Photo by Sun Xueliang

Photo by Sun Xueliang

Photo by Sun Xueliang