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
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday to impose a 10-percent tariff on goods imported from China. The latest U.S. trade protectionist measure has drawn widespread opposition both domestically and internationally.
The White House said the 10-percent tariff is on all imports from China on top of existing tariffs. Trump says the tariffs dovetail with his embrace of protectionist measures.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning has said that China always believes that there is no winner in a trade war or tariff war, and remains steadfast in safeguarding its national interests. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce He Yadong said China's position on the tariff issue is consistent. Tariff measures are not conducive to the interests of either China or the United States, nor to the rest of the world, He said.
According to the executive order, the United States also imposed a 25-percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada. For energy products from Canada, the administration imposed a 10-percent tariff.
U.S. imposes 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods