Feature: Robots Celebrate the New Year
On February 14 at 8 PM, inside the Jining Grand Theatre located in Rencheng District, Shandong Province, 20 robotic arms and 26 dual-arm robots performed together, marking the start of the 2026 Shandong Robot Spring Festival Gala amidst the powerful beats of drums and the lively sounds of suona horns. In the audience, 8-year-old Li Zongfei looked up and tugged at her mother Zhou Li’s sleeve, asking, “Mom, do robots celebrate the New Year too?”
Zhou Li leaned down and pointed to the stage, saying, “Look, they are dressed in new outfits, drumming and making music. Isn’t that a lively way to celebrate the New Year?” Li Zongfei nodded, her eyes glued to the stage as she clapped excitedly at intervals.
The opening performance, titled “Galloping Horses,” featured robots drumming in perfect synchronization. Various types of robots took the stage in succession—robot dogs leaped into the air and executed stable backflips, while humanoid robots showcased their punching and blocking skills. The audience was not only captivated by their dazzling skills but was also eager to see what kind of interaction would occur between the performers and the robots.
Shandong Qinqiang performer Song Dandan, who had just finished her act, remarked, “Performing alongside robots feels like having a highly perceptive apprentice. When the wind instruments play, they can sing the melody, moving their joints in rhythm. In that moment, I truly felt they understood the performance.”
“The gala brings together over 200 robots from companies such as Yushu Technology, Zhiyuan Robotics, and Luoshi Robotics,” said Zhang Xinman, the event’s executive director. “They came from Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, much like artists rushing to a performance.”
While the stage dazzled with impressive displays, behind the scenes lay a dynamic industrial landscape. Once the robots shed their “performance costumes” for “work uniforms,” they exhibited their capabilities in various scenarios.
“The robotic arms that opened the show might be in a shipyard welding hulls or assembling smartphone components on a production line,” said Tuo Hua, Chairman of Luoshi (Shandong) Robot Group Co., Ltd. “Our company sends thousands of robots from Jining to industries around the world every year.”
At the Luoshi Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park in Zoucheng, Jining, robots are engaged in intelligent assembly.
In recent years, Jining has prioritized the robot industry chain as one of its key signature industries, planning and constructing five robot industrial parks that house 66 related enterprises. This has created a comprehensive development system encompassing research and design, core component manufacturing, complete machine production, and system integration.
From the spotlight to the production line, robots are rapidly empowering more scenarios. In the specialized vehicle production base in Liangshan County, robots can perform precise welding, cutting, and spraying; at the Qufu “Three Confucian Sites” scenic area, service robots guide and explain to tourists; and above the campus of Jining Vocational and Technical College, drones deliver packages along designated routes, providing convenience for students and faculty.
This New Year celebration featuring robots not only infuses traditional festivities with “technological wisdom” but also signals the call for industrial upgrades. From the stage to the factory, robots are continuously moving towards smarter manufacturing and a better quality of life.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/robots-usher-in-the-new-year-with-spectacular-performances-at-shandong-spring-festival-gala/
