A mesmerizing music performance inspired by ancient Chinese folklore was staged during the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Tuesday night.
"The Legend of the White Snake" is one of China's most cherished and enduring folk tales, blending romance, tragedy, and supernatural elements. Passed down through generations, it recounts the passionate love between a man named Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen, a white snake spirit who transformed into a beautiful woman.
The captivating gala performance featured two stars from a classic TV series based on the ancient folklore -- Angie Chiu and Cecilia Yip, who both starred in a 1992 television adaptation and reprised their roles for this year's Spring Festival Gala.
The annual gala, also known as "Chunwan", 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.
The 2025 Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, which falls on Wednesday this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake.
Chinese classic folklore inspires snake-themed Spring Festival Gala performance
The steady growth of the Chinese economy and the country's continued efforts to open up and innovate will bring sustained confidence to the world economy, international experts said as China's annual two sessions are attracting global attention.
China's GDP grew by 5 percent year on year in 2024, ranking among the world's fastest-growing major economies and continuing to contribute about 30 percent to global economic growth.
At this year's third session of the 14th National People's Congress -- the first since last July's reform-themed third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China -- reform was once again highlighted across a broad spectrum of areas, ranging from rural development and improving fiscal, tax and financial systems, to education and health care.
According to a government work report submitted on Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation, China targets an economic growth rate of around 5 percent in 2025. The report also outlines an array of other key development goals for this year, including a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent, over 12 million new urban jobs, and an around 2 percent increase in the consumer price index.
Speaking about China's development, Marcela Vera, director of the Institute of Local Governments (IGLO) at Universidad Abierta de Recoleta, praised the country for achieving the balance of social welfare and economic growth.
"China has successfully balanced social welfare with healthy economic growth. Especially against the backdrop of global economic stagnation, recession, or extreme inflation, China's inflation rate is remarkably low. This allows people not only to earn high incomes but also to have stronger purchasing power compared to citizens of other countries," she said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged east China's Jiangsu Province, an economic powerhouse, to play a major role in the country's overall development when taking part in a deliberation with his fellow lawmakers from Jiangsu on March 5.
He said Jiangsu should take the lead in integrating technological and industrial innovation, advancing in-depth reform and high-standard opening up, and implementing major national development strategies, urging it to set an example in pursuing common prosperity.
Curtis Atkins, a Canadian media professional who is now managing editor of the Long View Publishing, spoke highly of President Xi's "forward-looking" thinking and expressed optimism about Jiangsu's role in promoting common prosperity among different Chinese regions.
"When President Xi talked about Jiangsu Province playing this leading role to help carry the rest of the country forward and to show the way, I think it really is another example of contrast, where the different regions, the different provinces of China are always reminded that we are in this together, this is a cooperative enterprise, this is about common prosperity for all of our people. It's very forward-looking," said Atkins.
Russian news commentator Igor Shnushenko, also former editor-in-chief of Delovoy Peterburg, commended China's commitment to technological innovation, emphasizing its collaboration for global benefit, especially for developing countries.
"I noticed that President Xi emphasized technological innovation and industrial innovation once again in his speech. I think this is very important, as both China and the global economy need continuous innovation. Developing countries, in particular, must quickly upgrade their traditional industries and continue to explore emerging industries," he said.
The "two sessions" refer to the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). This year, the third session of the 14th NPC opened on March 5 and will conclude on March 11, while the third session of the 14 CPPCC National Committee opened on March 4 and concluded on March 10.
China's development brings confidence to the world: int'l experts
