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
China's first domestically built large cruise ship, Adora Magic City, has completed 90 journeys and welcomed over 650,000 tourists since beginning its commercial operation over a year ago.
The cruise ship, which embarked on its maiden voyage on Jan 1, 2024, is 323.6 meters long with a gross tonnage of 135,500 tons and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers in 2,125 guest rooms.
Nearly 5,000 tourists have boarded the ship for a trip from Shanghai to Japan and South Korea for this year's Spring Festival holiday.
This year, the ship plans to visit multiple cruise ports in China and embark on themed voyages along the country's coast.
With its long industrial chain and a high degree of internationalization, the cruise industry is often called "the golden industry that floats." Over 1,000 domestic and foreign manufacturers were involved in building Adora Magic City.
Meanwhile, China's second homegrown large cruise ship is expected to be delivered by the end of 2026 and will start international journeys from Guangzhou in 2027.
China's first homegrown large cruise ship receives over 650,000 tourists