University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) welcomed the year 2026 with a New Year’s Eve Ceremony on the night of December 31 at its Yanqi Lake Campus, located at the foot of the Great Wall.
The event, titled "Ringing in the New Year, Embarking on a New Journey", marked the seventh year UCAS has held this ceremony, which has grown into a distinctive cultural tradition for the university, drawing enthusiastic participation from a wide range of students and faculty.
A series of activities were held throughout the evening, including the final round of the UCAS singing competition, a ski themed party, and several cultural performances before New Year countdown event. The events attracted participants from the university and the public on-site, the live broadcast reached a large online audience.
As midnight approached, a group of representatives—including faculty and students from the School of Advanced Interdisciplinary Sciences, the School of Cryptology and the School of Space Exploration, alongside an undergraduate student majoring in Cyber Security and a German student from Sino-Danish College (SDC)—ascended the campus clock tower to ring the New Year’s bell. As the bell sounded, electronic fireworks lit up the night sky. Attendees exchanged New Year greetings, joyfully welcoming the arrival of 2026.
A highlight of the ceremony was the unsealing of a "Future Mailbox," where students deposited postcards addressed to their future selves, expressing hopes and aspirations for the years ahead.
At the end of the event, attendees joined together in singing songs, stepping into the new year in a warm and vibrant atmosphere.
Author: GAO Yuan, WANG Hanqu
Editor: GAO Yuan
