Photo: From the CCTV broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala
What is happening?
China has entered the lunar Year of the Fire Horse — traditionally affiliated with dynamism and boldness. While it might be an auspicious year for bold projects and investments, it could also usher in chaos.
The annual celebrations in China involve a variety of traditions – handing out red envelopes, putting up decorations and inscriptions, setting off loud firecrackers, and family reunion dinners. The gaieties culminate in one shared ritual: watching Chunwan (春晚), or the annual televised Spring Festival Gala. The show is recorded in the Guinness World Records as the most-watched television program in the world and has undergone significant changes over the years. Beyond entertainment, it also offers a valuable albeit carefully curated window into domestic narrative management and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) thematic priorities.
What is the broader picture?
Produced by the China Media Group (CMG), Chunwan (春晚) has been part of New Year celebrations in China and among overseas Chinese communities since 1983. The full-evening show features dances, musical performances by popular singers, traditional comedic sketches (xiaopin, 小品), and other forms of entertainment for all three generations of a Chinese family gathered in front of the TV.
As the gala’s popularity grew, so did political oversight. For Chinese performers, participating in Chunwan remains highly prestigious. It also signifies regime approval and implicit endorsement. This year, international celebrities including Lionel Richie joined domestic stars such as Jackie Chan (成龙). Gen Z icons such as Jackson Yee (易烊千玺), a member of the TFBoys, actor and dancer Wang Yibo (王一博), and Chinese rapper Adam Fan (范丞丞) reflected an effort to balance nostalgia with contemporary relevance for younger audiences.
This Year’s leitmotif “Galloping Steed, Onward Unstoppable” (骐骥驰骋势不可挡) highlighted the narrative importance of Chinese society and national development, particularly in terms of technology, while reinforcing national pride.
Viewers had access to an AI assistant, as the hosts repeatedly promoted ByteDance’s chatbot Duobao throughout the evening. The show was, of course, rich in visual effects, but the most attention was drawn to humanoid robots from Unitree, which demonstrated kung-fu. Other robots performed alongside their human “colleagues” in various acts: MagicLab robots in the dance performance “We Are Made in China” (智造未来) and Noetix robots in a comedy sketch alongside live actors. Compared to last year’s Chunwan performances, there was a noticeable improvement in the coordination and fluidity of the new humanoid robots — a subtle but deliberate showcase of domestic technological capability.
The gala also highlighted China’s ethnic diversity: children performing in traditional costumes, touching nomadic songs, depictions of romanticized rural life, and notably, one of the hosts, Neghmet Abdulrakhman, representing the Uyghur ethnic group. Taiwan was represented through a music video and song titled “We Share the Same Roots, Welcome the Spring Festival with the Same Song” (一脉同根 同曲迎春), which depicted both sides of the Taiwan Strait – New Taipei on one side and Zhangzhou in Fujian Province on the other – celebrating the Lunar New Year in parallel, with themes of reunion and gentle melancholy. Several prominent Hong Kong performers also participated, including the popular singer and actress Faye Wong (王菲).
Why does it matter?
This year’s Chunwan blended the themes of technological modernization and national pride, symbolized by robots and AI. At the same time, it highlighted traditional culture and ethnic diversity, promoting national unity. The inclusion of international celebrities suggests a calibrated openness, signaling global cultural connectivity even amid geopolitical tensions. At the same time, the show’s tightly managed narrative demonstrates how cultural production remains deeply embedded within state strategy.
The show is thus far more than a family entertainment staple. It is also a sophisticated tool of cultural communication and reflection on contemporary Chinese society. It simultaneously conveys Beijing’s perspective on the coming lunar year — in the Year of the Fire Horse, Chinese leadership appears intent on conveying momentum, unity, and technological ascendancy.