Beijing — Xi Jinping Turns to Old Festivals to Polish Party Image

Xi Jinping's government is folding centuries-old Chinese festivals into official Communist Party messaging, an effort meant to burnish the party's image, according to the Economist. The magazine's report, published Sept. 28, 2026, cautions that ancient traditions "may not always bend to his will," a tension it frames as central to the strategy's limits.

What is Xi doing with China's old festivals?

The Economist describes a pattern in which the party under Xi has moved to attach itself to traditional festivals that predate Communist rule by centuries. The magazine's framing treats this as a deliberate exercise in image-building rather than an incidental byproduct of cultural policy, though its published summary does not detail specific festivals, dates, or government directives involved in the campaign.

Why would the party lean on traditional celebrations?

The Economist's headline points to a straightforward goal: using festivals with deep roots in Chinese history to project continuity between the party and a civilization that long predates it. Associating the Communist Party with customs that carry broad public affection and cultural legitimacy offers a way to reinforce the party's standing without relying solely on economic performance or ideological appeals, per the report's framing.

Where does the effort run into resistance?

The Economist's own sub-headline supplies the countervailing point: traditions carry meanings and practices that predate the party and are not entirely controllable by it. That framing suggests state efforts to redirect or reshape festival customs toward party messaging can collide with how ordinary people already understand and observe those occasions. The magazine does not specify particular instances of pushback in the material reviewed, but its structure — stating the party's ambition alongside a caveat about tradition's independence — signals that the strategy is contested rather than settled.

What does the broader effort say about Xi's approach to legitimacy?

The Economist's report situates the festival campaign within a wider question about how China's leadership sustains public support. Rather than treating cultural symbolism as a minor sideline, the report treats it as one lever the party pulls alongside economic and political tools. That framing implies the leadership views popular sentiment around shared cultural touchstones as worth actively managing, not just tolerating.

What is not yet clear from the reporting?

The published material available does not identify which festivals, provinces, or party directives are driving the campaign, nor does it quantify public reaction. Those specifics would sharpen assessment of how far the effort has gone and how it is landing with the public. The Economist's own framing — presenting the initiative and its limits in the same breath — indicates the outcome remains unresolved rather than a settled success for Beijing.

The original report is available from the Economist.