This year marks our second Chinese New Year in Finland. Upon hearing the news that the Finnish Chinese New Year Fair, silent for four years, was making a comeback, my friends and I eagerly teamed up with the organizers. We decided to bring the warmth of technology to the 2025 Finnish Chinese New Year Fair, adding a unique touch to this grand event!
The CCTV Spring Festival Gala promo video makes its debut at the Finnish fair. (Image from cctv.com)
This was my first time participating in such a large-scale Chinese New Year event, taking charge of the on-site “Blessing Wall” and the lottery segment. Although it was behind-the-scenes work for a public cause, seeing the blessings scrolling on the screen, the smiles on the audience's faces, and hearing the cheers from the crowd made it all worthwhile.
The Blessing Wall we designed became one of the highlights of this year’s fair. It was like a giant “open letter” crafted especially for the audience. All they had to do was scan a QR code with their phone to send their New Year blessings to the big screen.
On the day of the event, the Blessing Wall became a lively hub, with warm wishes pouring in one after another:
Some blessings even brought a smile to everyone’s face:
Each blessing reflected the vibrant atmosphere of the event. After the fair, we analyzed the data and found that the peak moment for sending blessings was five minutes before the lottery, with an average of 282 messages per minute. The square was filled with excitement as the screen was practically “flooded” with blessings! From behind the screen, I watched as people eagerly searched for their messages and snapped photos with their friends when their wishes appeared. At that moment, I truly felt the power of technology—not cold or distant, but something that brings hearts closer together.
"Spanish: Sending lots of love from Puerto Rico!" The fair drew people from various countries, and in addition to Chinese and Finnish, we saw many blessings in other languages celebrating the New Year.
"Khmer: Happy New Year"
"Farsi: Mom, I love you. Wishing you joy and success in the New Year. Blessings to all!"
"Korean: Wishing you wealth and prosperity in the New Year!"
"Finnish: I love Finland and China. Happy New Year!"
Our host, 卡姐, became a crowd favorite. Later analysis showed that hundreds of blessings were dedicated to her alone.
"Shoutout to my friends from Shanghai! ❤️"
"Finnish: I hope my cancer will be cured so we can celebrate the joy of the New Year together ❤️" This person sent several similar blessings, each filled with hope. It moved me deeply, and I silently wished them good health and happiness in the coming year.
Behind the Blessing Wall was a silent yet diligent “volunteer”—an AI system. It reviewed every blessing to ensure that the content displayed on the screen was positive and appropriate. If someone wrote something unsuitable, the AI would replace it with warm wishes, such as turning advertisements into “Wishing you good luck in the New Year!” It even corrected misspelled blessings, like changing “Heapyyyy nou ja” to “Happy New Year!” Though this feature went unnoticed by most, it made the event more orderly and ensured that every blessing carried a sense of goodwill.
The hardworking AI was the unsung hero ensuring everything ran smoothly.
What’s a fair without a lottery? After the Blessing Wall finished its scroll, we randomly selected one lucky participant from all the blessings submitted, displaying their name and message on the big screen while awarding them a special New Year gift.
During the lottery, the entire crowd’s eyes were glued to the screen. But little did they know that my hands, behind the scenes, were the “lucky hands” making it all happen! Each time, the host would shout, “Start!” and the blessings and names would scroll rapidly across the screen, building suspense. At the host’s call to “Stop!” I would click the stop button, and the screen would freeze on one lucky participant’s blessing. That moment felt magical, like I was Santa Claus delivering the most anticipated surprises.
I vividly remember one lucky winner whose message, “Happy New Year, wishing for a lovely baby dragon!” appeared on the screen. Her friends cheered loudly as they pushed her toward the stage to claim her prize, her face beaming with joy and disbelief. The thunderous applause and laughter filled the square, making the atmosphere electric. Each “next winner” revealed on the screen kept the crowd on edge, with anticipation and excitement written on every face—even I, behind the scenes, couldn’t help but hold my breath.
Seeing the audience’s laughter and excitement made me smile from behind the screen. The experience of using technology to spread warmth and joy is truly indescribable.
A post on Xiaohongshu capturing our lottery segment in action.
As a volunteer, my tasks weren’t particularly complex—just supporting the Blessing Wall and lottery. But as I watched the scrolling blessings and the audience’s excited faces, I realized this event wasn’t just a task for me; it was a way to express warmth through technology.
Whether it was the AI ensuring positive blessings or the interactive screen designs, our goal was to use simple tech tools to bring people closer together. On a cold Finnish winter day, these blessings were the perfect antidote to the chill.
This year’s fair was more than just dragon dances and candied hawthorns; it carried expectations and hope. Over 20,000 people gathered at Kamppi Square to soak in the rich New Year atmosphere. And through the Blessing Wall, I was lucky to be part of this festive warmth.
This kind of lively crowd is a rare sight in Helsinki!
If you were one of those who left a blessing on the wall, thank you! Your participation made our screen so warm and vibrant. If given another chance, I hope to use technology to bring even more smiles and joy to others.
