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By Victoria Yan Yun
TORONTO, ON — Centuries-old folk traditions shared the stage with humanoid robots at Nathan Phillips Square as the seventh annual Toronto Dragon Festival wrapped up a three-day celebration of culture, technology and community.
More than 200 performances were presented across two stages, with this year’s program placing a greater emphasis on audience participation. Among the highlights were the energetic Chaoshan Yingge dance, featuring performers as young as six, and the Jingpo Munao Zongge, which drew attendees into a large-scale communal dance in the square.
Technology also played a more prominent role this year. Unitree humanoid robots took to the stage to demonstrate tai chi and martial arts movements, while a newly introduced technology exhibition zone showcased AI agent applications aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses improve efficiency and explore new ways of operating.
The festival extended well beyond Toronto’s Chinese community, bringing together performers and cultural groups from Vancouver and Ottawa, as well as Ecuador, Mexico, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Slovakia and the Philippines.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow attended the festival and delivered remarks, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sent a congratulatory letter. Chinese Consul General in Toronto Luo Weidong also addressed the event.
Now in its seventh year, the Toronto Dragon Festival has grown from a Chinese community celebration into a broader multicultural gathering in one of the city’s most prominent public spaces. This year, the juxtaposition was particularly visible: Yingge drums and communal dances unfolded just steps away from humanoid robots and AI exhibits, bringing cultural traditions rooted in the past into conversation with technologies shaping the future.
