
BEIJING, Jan. 28, 2025 — China Media Group’s annual Spring Festival Gala, a key event for the Lunar New Year, aired on Tuesday, coinciding with the start of the most important Chinese holiday.
The gala, also known as “Chunwan,” followed the inscription of China’s Spring Festival onto UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Since its 1983 debut, it has remained a beloved tradition for Chinese families on New Year’s Eve, and this year’s edition amplified its focus on human connection and cultural preservation.
This year’s diverse program included music, comedy, traditional arts (opera, martial arts), magic, and acrobatics. It also marked the fourth year of offering a vertical screen viewing option, a format that has proven enormously popular, attracting 130 million, 190 million, and 420 million views in the past three years respectively.
A celebration of everyday lives
This year’s gala highlighted the contributions of ordinary citizens, reflecting the event’s ethos as “the people’s Spring Festival Gala.”
The show featured individuals from various professions – police officers, railway workers, intangible cultural heritage keepers, and internet personalities – sharing their stories and introducing segments.
For the first time, the gala provided barrier-free broadcasting for the visually and hearing-impaired, utilizing augmented reality (AR) virtual technology and AI voice recognition to ensure inclusivity.
AR-enhanced sign language interpretation and audio descriptions made the festivities accessible to all, underscoring the gala’s role as a truly universal celebration.
Showcasing cultural heritage on a global stage
Following UNESCO’s recognition, the 2025 gala placed strong emphasis on showcasing China’s intangible cultural heritage.
The opening sequence, “Welcoming Fortune,” utilized AR, interactive screens, and naked-eye 3D technology to display traditional Chinese New Year customs and cultural elements from across the country.
From paper cutting and copper engraving to the dynamic “iron flowers” performance, each segment highlighted the richness and variety of China’s intangible cultural heritage.
Another notable performance, “The Pillars and Beams,” was a song-and-dance piece inspired by Beijing’s Central Axis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2024).
Modern digital art was used to provide detailed visualizations of ancient Chinese architecture, creating an immersive cultural experience.
The gala’s reach extends beyond China’s borders, inviting global participation.
Evan Kyle, an American who donated a World War II photo album to China, attended the gala. International musicians and singers also performed; American rock band OneRepublic played their hit “Counting Stars,” while Chinese and Peruvian artists collaborated on a performance blending “Lan Huahua” (a Northern Shaanxi folk song) and “El Condor Pasa.”
CGTN and its multilingual platforms brought the gala to over 200 countries and regions.
Live broadcasts in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian, along with coverage by over 2,900 media outlets worldwide, solidified the gala’s role as a global cultural bridge.
CGTN launched the Snake Year Dance Fun challenge, engaging participants from more than 70 countries and regions. CGTN’s Spring Festival special “Super Night” also presented diverse programs in multiple languages to foster global cultural exchange.
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