At a bustling mall in Beijing, a humanoid robot dances to lively music. This exhibition merges AI with celebrations for China’s largest festival, the Lunar New Year.
This holiday lasts eight days and is a time when families come together to eat, drink, and celebrate.
While traditions like dragon dances and incense offerings are cherished, this event adds a modern flair.
Known as the “AI temple fair,” the event showcases local tech innovations in Beijing’s Haidian district.
Sophia Wu shared her thoughts as she wandered among the robotic helpers. “These robots can do so many things—like grab items from shelves or make coffee.”
The retired engineer mused, “I’d love to have one to handle my chores and save me time.”
A group of robots from Unitree made headlines this week for their sync dance performance on national TV. Yet, the dancer in the mall performed a simpler routine, moving its hips and arms in place.
Called Xiao Xin, the robot could chat and slightly change its facial expressions, adding a lifelike touch.
Nearby, a curious visitor asked a life-sized humanoid, dressed as a traditional wealth god, what it had for breakfast. It replied in a deep voice, detailing a hearty meal.
“I hope you also have a healthy and happy new year,” the robot added, shaking its beard.
Various other robots entertained as well. A group played familiar holiday tunes, and robotic arms wrote calligraphy on red paper.
Bai Song, waiting for his calligraphy scroll to dry, said the event showed the “charm of robots.” He believes AI might change jobs but also create new opportunities.
He emphasized, “In our country, people’s lives won’t suddenly get worse; there’s a safety net.”
China aims to lead globally in AI by the end of the decade and has made strides in advanced technologies.
This week, a new AI chatbot stirred excitement by matching U.S. competitors at lower costs.
However, not every creation was flawless—some robots struggled in their tasks. For example, a robotic koi carp kept bumping into the wall of its tank.
Cheng Cheng, a development engineer, mentioned that improvement is ongoing, focusing on making robots more agile and robust.
Despite some hiccups, he was optimistic about future developments, seeing this as just the beginning.
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China, Beijing, humanoid robot, Spring Festival, AI temple fair, Science and Technology
