China Media Group (CMG) held the first dress rehearsal for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Sunday, honing the much-anticipated TV carnival amid prevailing festive mood for the traditional Chinese Lunar New Year.
The gala will feature a rich variety of artistic forms backed by application of technologies.
On December 4, 2024, the UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival -- the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year -- on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, marking a global recognition of this vibrant celebration and cherished cultural tradition.
As the first Spring Festival Gala after the inscription, the production team creatively incorporated traditional customs and intangible cultural heritage practices into the show. The integration of various heritage elements into the stage design, program structure, and visual presentation highlight the time-honored appeal of China's rich cultural legacy.
CMG earlier unveiled the four sub-venue locations for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala. They are Chongqing Municipality in the southwest, Hubei Province's Wuhan in central China, Lhasa of the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region also in the southwest, and Jiangsu Province's Wuxi in the east.
The gala, also known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, has been broadcast live annually since 1983, and has been seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional Lunar New Year celebrations in China. This year's event will be aired on Jan 28, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.
CMG holds first rehearsal for 2025 Spring Festival Gala
CMG holds first rehearsal for 2025 Spring Festival Gala
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he is stepping down as the Liberal Party leader but will stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected, while the opposition leader complained that "nothing has changed".
The prime minister said Governor General Mary Simon had granted his request to prorogue Parliament until March 24.
"Nothing has changed," federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on his social media, questioning what has changed with Trudeau's announcement.
"Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported everything Trudeau did for nine years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another four years," said Poilievre, the official opposition leader.
Trudeau is facing a revolt within his caucus and dismal public opinion polls, which indicate that his party is likely to be swept from power by Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives in an election, according to local media.
The House of Commons was scheduled to resume on Jan. 27, with the Conservatives planning to advance a non-confidence motion. Other opposition parties had indicated their readiness to bring down Trudeau's minority Liberal government. Trudeau's request for prorogation buys the Liberals time to run an expedited leadership race without facing a confidence vote.
A new session of Parliament would begin with a Speech from the Throne, setting the stage for a key confidence vote that could trigger a federal election in May if the Liberals fall.
Trudeau's decision to continue as prime minister through the next two months comes as Canada braces for the start of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's second term and his threats of 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada.
A majority of members of Parliament from the regional Liberal caucuses told Trudeau over the Christmas break that he must step aside. A national, daylong caucus to discuss the matter had been set for Wednesday, but this is now moot with a leadership race underway.
Liberal members of Parliament and party members will be briefed in the coming days on the party's constitution and caucus' role in the upcoming leadership campaign. According to the Liberal Party of Canada's constitution, "upon the occurrence of a leadership trigger event," or if the leader announces resignation, a meeting of the national board of directors must be called within 27 days. In consultation with the caucus, the board could appoint an interim leader. The top party officials would also be required to set a date for a leadership vote and other parameters around the race.
Trudeau has been the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada since 2013 and prime minister since 2015.
Canadian prime minister to step down as opposition complains "nothing has changed"
