With the Year of the Horse approaching, McDonald’s China is once again rolling out its now-familiar Lunar New Year line: Wishing you a Golden Arches Year (祝你今年金拱门). This time, though, the brand is lighting it up with something more culturally grounded – intangible cultural heritage lantern art.
McDonald’s partnered with four heritage inheritors to reinterpret regional classics, from Wangmantian fish lanterns to Beijing palace lanterns, Qinhuai lotus lanterns and Foshan decorative lights. The move taps straight into Spring Festival muscle memory, using a visual language that already signals reunion, warmth and home – no explanation required.
Storytelling comes via a short-film series, One Lantern, One Wish, produced with Harper’s Bazaar China. Rather than spectacle, the films focus on craft: hands, materials, and the quiet rhythm of making. The message is understated and deliberate. Instead of chasing prosperity clichés, McDonald’s lands on a simpler New Year wish: come home early.
The menu does its usual festive work, but with a neat twist. Until 3 March, McDonald’s is running eight limited Lunar New Year items, all carrying the character for gold (金) in their names. Burgers, fries and desserts arrive in lantern-patterned packaging, turning everyday orders into small seasonal moments rather than one-off gimmicks.
Offline, the campaign spills into public space. Lantern-themed pop-ups are landing at Spring Festival landmarks including Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden and Nanjing’s Confucius Temple, while 25 restaurants across 14 cities have been converted into New Year-themed stores built for lingering, snapping and sharing.
This marks the third year of McDonald’s Golden Arches New Year strategy. The shift is clear. From shadow puppetry to lantern heritage, the brand is trying to embed itself into how Chinese consumers experience the season, rather than shouting for attention inside it.
