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.

US aggression signals hegemony faces "extinction burst": historian

Washington's assertive moves, from attacks on Venezuela to threats against Iran and Greenland, reflect the final outburst of a declining unipolar order and may encourage countries in the Global South to band together as uncertainty grows, said American University history professor Anton Fedyashin.

U.S. President Donald Trump's policy agenda has drawn widespread criticism from governments around the world, as Latin American governments condemn the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the European Union sharply rejects Trump's claims on Greenland, a territory of Denmark.

In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Fedyashin said that the U.S. president's brazen actions signal an impending end to America's excessive global influence.

"I think we are entering a period of global fragmentation, and that we are certainly entering a period when American hegemony is in relative decline. And I think that Donald Trump, by the way, is a manifestation. It's the 'extinction burst' of American hegemony, of the unipolar moment," he said.

Fedyashin predicted that stronger cooperation among Global South nations will become increasingly urgent as countries seek new pathways to accelerate development amid the renewed uncertainties from the U.S.

"What I think is more likely to start happening is that countries around the world will start banding together, in order to protect themselves against the United States, and against the West and whatever other outside actors there are. The world, the members of the Global South will start looking for alternatives to Western-dominated organizations, both economically and from the point of view of security. So I think that if the United States continues to be so unpredictable and aggressive, that the Global South, at least, will start coming together," said the historian.