The 2025 Spring Festival Gala's four sub-venues captivated audiences on the Chinese New Year's Eve in a stunning display of their distinct local cultural heritages and modern splendor, adding cheer and vibrancy to the grand celebration.
As China's most-watched TV program, the annual Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan," is a long-standing tradition featuring a wide range of performances, including comedy, songs, dances, acrobatics, and magic. This year, the Gala expanded its stage to four sub-venues across the country: Chongqing, Wuhan, Lhasa, and Wuxi.
In an exclusive interview, Yang Jinmeng, deputy director of the Gala, expounded on the essence of these venues, describing each city with a single character and a drop of water to encapsulate their unique identity and spirit.
In southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the "8D City" known for its dramatic landscape, its verdant hills, flowing rivers, cyberpunk architecture and dazzling neon lights became the backdrop for a mesmerizing visual spectacle.
"For this year's four sub-venues, I would describe them as four kinds of liquid. Chongqing is like hotpot broth. We define it with the character 'new.' It epitomizes the new era. For example, Chongqing is an inland city, but it has become a comprehensive transportation hub in the interior. It's incredible how an inland city has developed its transportation infrastructure to such an advanced level," said Yang.
In Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, the show highlighted the city's iconic landmarks, such as the historic Yellow Crane Tower, the bustling Jianghan Road, and the vibrant Yangtze River. The lively scenes, filled with the aroma of hot dry noodles and the hum of busy public transport, captured Wuhan's resilience and dynamic spirit as it emerges stronger from the hardships of the COVID-19 onslaught.
"Wuhan is like a drop of sweat. We associate it with the character 'xia' (representing a heroic, righteous person in in Chinese literature, especially in martial arts fictions), which captures the spirit of locals. The people of Wuhan convey a clear message to us: 'We are doing well now, and we will be even better in the future!" said the deputy director.
Set against the majestic Potala Palace, the sub-venue in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region stood as the highest Spring Festival Gala stage ever constructed. Yang described the concept as "togetherness," symbolizing the unity of Xizang's diverse ethnic groups.
"[For Lhasa], the character is 'togetherness'. [Xizang] is home to multiple ethnic groups, a true gathering of strength. If you look closely at the details, you will see that all the performers in Lhasa are not professional actors, but farmers and herders from across Xizang's seven prefecture-level cities. Their smiling faces are not performances. They will undoubtedly move and inspire the audience. [Lhasa] is like a drop of dew, through which we see the beautiful blooming of the Gesang flower, with happiness on the horizon," she said.
The Wuxi venue, located in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta, drew inspiration from the region's picturesque waterways. With a romantic blend of old and new, the show's theme featured boats navigating from the tranquil landscapes of ancient water towns to the bustling industrial era, and even into a futuristic metropolis, symboling the city's memrakble evolution over time.
Yang likened Wuxi to a drop of ink, a symbol of the Jiangnan water towns, yet with a deeper essence.
"How would I describe Wuxi in one character? It's like a drop of ink, with the typical landscape of Jiangnan (Southern China) water towns, but it carries a depth that goes beyond that. At first glance, you think, 'This is Wuxi', but you might question it after taking another look. But as you go deeper, you'll definitely conclude, 'Ah, this is truly Wuxi'! Our goal is to evoke that feeling through our storytelling," Yang said.
The 2025 Spring Festival Gala, hosted by China Media Group (CMG), achieved unprecedented success, reaching a staggering 16.8 billion views across all media platforms, an 18.31 percent increase over last year. Notably, mobile viewership soared to 372 million, up 52.46 percent year-on-year.
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Spring Festival Gala sub-venues shine with vibrant local charms