CMG's 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala to showcase best of traditional culture

China

CMG's 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala to showcase best of traditional culture

2024-09-16 17:25 Last Updated At：21:37

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China Media Group's (CMG's) Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, which is set to be aired on Tuesday to celebrate the moon-themed traditional festival, will highlight the best of intangible cultural heritage and traditional Chinese elements.

Shadow puppetry plays a key role in the gala's artistic expression. Specifically, a branch of this craft in the northern parts of China called Shenyang Guan's Shadow Puppetry will be the highlight in the gala this year.

Puppets represent a variety of vibrant characters in Shenyang, where the gala is being recorded, including urban dwellers, villagers and people of ethnic minority groups. By blending this time-honored craftsmanship and modern performances, Shenyang Guan's Shadow Puppetry will showcase the energetic vibe of Shenyang people.

"Each country's shadow puppetry is different in designs and performances. China's has its own regional characteristics. As part of this art, we carry the responsibility of promoting Chinese culture," said Guan Weiying, a fifth-generation inheritor.

The gala's stage design also pays homage to Chinese traditions, with a scenic lake, pavilions, and a striking full moon as a backdrop.

To the Chinese, the Mid-autumn Festival means family reunion and harmony. It is celebrated when the moon is full, and Chinese people believe a full moon is a symbol of reunion, harmony, and happiness. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar with full moon at night.

CMG on Sunday released a promotional video of the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. The gala will be broadcast worldwide at 20:00 Beijing Time (1200 GMT) via various CMG channels, as well as its social media platforms.

The gala will spotlight key topics of interest for audiences at home and abroad. These include the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China, and significant milestones such as the Chang'e-6 space missions.

Top military commander meets Iran's supreme leader, briefs on military readiness

Ali Abdollahi, chief commander of Iran's main military command Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, had met the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, presenting the leader with a report of the country's armed forces' readiness, the official news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

During the meeting, Abdollahi said they are well-prepared to counter the "hostile actions" of the United States and Israel, the report said, without specifying the date of the session.

If the United States and Israel perpetrate any act of aggression against Iran, the Iranian armed forces will respond to them "swiftly, intensely, and powerfully," Abdollahi said.

Khamenei praised the country's "brave and powerful" armed forces and outlined new measures to continue the fight against the enemies.

Iran's Assembly of Experts in early March announced the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new supreme leader. His appointment came after Ali Khamenei, his father and Iran's former supreme leader, was assassinated in a U.S.-Israeli attack in Tehran on Feb. 28 Also on Sunday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that 'the Iranian nation will never bow down to the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, it does not mean surrender or retreat," according to a statement published on his office's website.