CMG unveils mascot for 2025 Spring Festival Gala

China Media Group (CMG) on Monday released the official mascot for its 2025 Spring Festival Gala, as the Year of the Snake in the Chinese lunar calendar is approaching.

Based on the image of a cartoon snake, the mascot is named "Si Shengsheng", and was designed to match the theme of the Spring Festival Gala -- "Year of the Snake, Keep Your Spirits Awake!"

The outline of the mascot's head and the shape of the patterns on its cheeks are derived from a silver "Ruyi", a traditional Chinese ornament representing blessings and auspiciousness, unearthed in Shaanxi Province from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Its head is decorated with a bat pattern and its tail is embellished with a long knot representing longevity in Chinese culture, making the entire mascot represent blessings and good luck.

The shape of the eyebrows and eyes of the vivid mascot is taken from the pattern of snake-shaped bronze cultural relics unearthed from the Sanxingdui Ruins, one of the world's greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

This pattern is also widely seen on bronze and jade items in the Central Plains region, showing the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.

Some of the patterns on the mascot are carved with cloisonne craftsmanship, and the filigree inlay art was also used to sketch out a variety of flowers on the mascot, implying that the spring is back.

Green is the main color of the mascot, symbolizing spring and vitality, and a variety of traditional Chinese colors are also used in the design.

The Spring Festival Gala hosted by CMG has been an essential part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration since 1983. The gala includes songs, dance, comic sketches, operas and folk arts.

The annual spectacle, known as the most-watched television program in the world, is broadcast on the eve of the Chinese New Year, when families come together to ring in the new lunar year.

The 2025 Spring Festival Gala will be on the air on the lunar New Year's Eve, which falls on January 28, 2025.

CMG unveils mascot for 2025 Spring Festival Gala

CMG unveils mascot for 2025 Spring Festival Gala

A three-day snowboard and freeski big air event at the iconic Shougang Park in Beijing this weekend has driven up the surrounding consumption.

The 2024-2025 FIS Snowboard and Freeski Big Air World Cup was held at Big Air Shougang, a ski jump platform built for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, from Friday to Sunday, drawing 175 competitors from 31 countries and regions.

The elite international game attracted a big crowd of snow-sports lovers to the site, many of whom traveled from afar to experience the excitement of this winter event.

"The atmosphere was great. Especially when seeing athletes from your own country, everyone would cheer for them loudly," said one spectator.

"According to incomplete statistics, the revenue of Shougang Park's catering sector increased by 5 percent this weekend, the revenue of the accommodation sector increased by 43 percent. And by holding such top events, we've built clusters of related industries and injected new impetus for economic and social development," said Wang Jianbo, deputy director of the Shijingshan District's sports bureau.

During the match, there were also music festivals, fairs, food blocks, and an exhibition of boutique ski equipment.

The Big Air Shougang sports stadium in Beijing is the world's first permanent big air venue.

Big air event in Beijing drives up consumption