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2025 Spring Festival Gala: Celebrating Humanity and Culture

On January 28, 2025, the long-anticipated Spring Festival Gala took center stage, airing on the eve of the Chinese New Year. Produced and transmitted annually by the China Media Group (CGTN), this year's gala stands out as it is the first edition since the Chinese Spring Festival was officially recognized as part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage. Since its inception in 1983, this notable production has evolved, captivating families across the globe with its rich tapestry of traditional and modern performances.

A Celebration of Ordinary Lives

This year's event placed a special emphasis on celebrating ordinary people's contributions to our shared humanity. Various guests from diverse backgrounds participated, including essential figures like police officers and railway workers, along with cultural heritage inheritors and internet personalities. The broadcast integrated innovative accessible technologies aimed at empowering viewers who are visually or hearing impaired, utilizing augmented reality (AR) and AI-based voice recognition to enhance the experience.

Cultural Heritage on Display

In a historic first, the gala showcased the intangible cultural heritage of China underlining traditions and customs from different regions. The opening performance, titled “Towards Happiness,” featured state-of-the-art technology including AR, interactive screens, and 3D visualizations without glasses. This experiential journey through customs displayed the rich cultural diversity of the Chinese New Year celebrations nationwide.

Examples of performances included intricate paper-cutting arts, copper engraving, and the spectacular “iron flowers,” a traditional pyrotechnic art form showcasing molten iron fireworks. Such acts affirmed the richness of China's cultural heritage.

Also featured was “Columns and Beams,” a musical and dance production inspired by the Central Axis of Beijing, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024. The event did not shy away from contemporary digital art, as creators introduced viewers to stunning representations of ancient Chinese architecture, immersing audiences in the beauty of traditional culture.

Global Culture Connection

The Spring Festival Gala is not only a national phenomenon but a globally significant event, attracting attention worldwide. This year, notable attendees included Evan Kyle, a young American who presented China with a historical album from World War II. Performances by international artists, including the American rock band OneRepublic, who performed their hit song “Counting Stars,” and a collaboration between Chinese and Peruvian singers featuring “Condor and Lanhuahua,” exemplified the event's global outreach.

Thanks to CGTN and its multilingual platforms, the gala reached over 200 countries and regions, drawing audiences through broadcasts in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian—with around 2,900 media outlets covering the event globally.

Connecting Cultures

In celebration of the Year of the Snake, CGTN introduced the “Snake Year Dance Fun” event, which welcomed participants from more than 70 countries. The media outlet also curated a special New Year's Eve programming lineup filled with diverse and engaging content in multiple languages, promoting cross-cultural exchange.

The 2025 Spring Festival Gala serves as a bridge between cultures, reiterating its role as a platform for cultural exchange and joyous celebration, uniting people across continents in anticipation of a new year filled with hope and connection.