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CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake

China

CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake
China

China

CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake

2025-01-29 02:38 Last Updated At:04:17

The 2025 Spring Festival Gala hosted and aired by the China Media Group (CMG) has delivered over four hours of captivating cultural performances to audiences tuning in from all around the world as people celebrate one of the most important Chinese holidays.

The gala opened at 20:00 Tuesday Beijing time on the eve of the Chinese New Year of the Snake, with performances being staged at the main venue in Beijing and at four sub-venues across the country, namely Wuxi, Wuhan, Chongqing and Lhasa.

Themed "Year of the Snake, Keep Your Spirit Awake", the annual television extravaganza featured a dazzling array of singing and dancing, opera, comedy sketches, martial arts and other performances.

As the first gala held since the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the Spring Festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December last year, this year's show featured more elements of intangible cultural heritage such as Lazi Duixie, a traditional tap dance from Lazi County in Xizang Autonomous Region, and the ritual act of Yingge Dance which is popular in the Chaoshan area of the southern Guangdong Province.

Highlighting a blend of traditional and modern elements, with performances ranging from humanoid robots performing folk dances, to operas with regional traditions, to comedy sketches and magic tricks, the gala once again demonstrated the rich and diverse culture of China as it brought together artists from the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and performers of various ethnic groups.

A delightful collision of cultures was also displayed at the event, with Chinese and Peruvian artists sharing the stage to deliver a performance blending a traditional Chinese folk song with a popular Peruvian orchestral musical piece.

The gala also featured a performance by American pop rock band OneRepublic, who gave a rendition of their popular single 'Counting Stars' from the stage of the sub-venue in Wuhan.

The marathon variety show reached its climax with the countdown to New Year and the ringing of the midnight bell signaling the arrival of the Year of the Snake.

Also known as "Chunwan", the gala was first broadcast in 1983 and is seen as a major cultural symbol for Spring Festival celebrations in China.

Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's most-watched annual TV program, the hours-long television extravaganza attracts over a billion views every year.

CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake

CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake

CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake

CMG stages annual Spring Festival Gala as China celebrates Year of Snake

A village grocery store virtually destroyed in a powerful earthquake early this month has reopened in Dingri County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region thanks to the efforts of its owner and timely government aid, bringing hope to local residents who lived on the store's remaining supply after the earthquake.

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County on Jan 7, leaving 126 people dead and 337 others injured.

The powerful quake virtually destroyed Tonglai Village, where Norbu, a father of two boys, ran the grocery store with his wife.

"[When the earthquake took place] I tried to run out of my house, but I couldn't move, so I had to hide under the bed," said Norbu.

Shortly after the earthquake, Norbu joined rescuers to search for survivors, and suddenly it struck him that there were still bundles of food in his van that he had purchased the previous day for his store.

"There was food like instant noodles, bottled water, snacks, and chicken legs in my van. By about 14:00 or 15:00 on that day, I had sent food to every impacted village," he said.

Before the store owner risked his life to gather more foods for residents in need, Norbu was stopped by the armed police on duty, who said they themselves would instead go to the site of the destroyed store to transport out the remaining food stocks there.

"I was deeply moved, and I wept. The police were normal people like me. I have a family and so do they, but they risk their lives for affected villagers like me," said Norbu.

Thanks to the rescuers, most of the remaining goods were transported to a tent next to the prefabricated houses which Norbu had been relocated to after the quake. Despite the quickly restored life, the shop owner always dreamed of rebuilding his grocery store.

After thorough searching and planning, Norbu chose a prefabricated house near his relocation site as his new grocery store, and he named the shop after his wife, hoping the reopening of his small business will symbolize an auspicious year ahead.

"My wife and I reopened the grocery store earlier this year and we will make concerted efforts in striving to build a better and happy life in the future," said Norbu.

Village grocery store reopens in quake-hit Xizang, bringing hope to affected residents

Village grocery store reopens in quake-hit Xizang, bringing hope to affected residents

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