China-Spring Festival Gala/Opening

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The 2024 Spring Festival Gala, an annual televised celebration hosted by the China Media Group (CMG), got underway at 20:00 on Friday (Beijing Time), on the eve of the Chinese New Year.

The TV variety show features a host of acrobatics displays, comedy sketches, martial arts demonstrations, as well as singing, dancing and many other cultural performances such as Peking Opera.

This year’s gala has drawn inspiration from traditional Chinese cultural elements, highlighting people’s confidence and pursuit of a happy life, and sending warm New Year wishes to all Chinese people around the world.

The gala is being hosted live from the main venue at the CMG headquarters in Beijing and at four sub-venues across the country including Shenyang, Xi’an, Kashgar, and Changsha, delivering a colorful cultural feast and highlighting the auspicious, festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year.

The gala, also known as “Chunwan”, was first broadcast back in 1983 and is seen as a major cultural symbol for the traditional 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 2024 Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on Feb 10 this year, ushering in the Year of the Dragon.