Producers and guest performers of China Media Group (CMG)'s Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, which aired on Tuesday night, shared stories of how they pushed creative boundaries to make this year's show an unforgettable event.
The annual gala broadcast, also known as "Qiuwan" in Chinese, was recorded in Shenyang City in northeast China's Liaoning Province, a 2,300-year-old city boasting three world cultural heritages sites and over 1,500 historical and cultural sites. The city is also one of the most well-known industrial cities in China.
With theme of "moon culture", the gala vividly presented Chinese traditional culture with over 30 artistic performances, including poem recitals, songs and dances, as well as full-featured operas.
Hungarian pianist and composer Balazs Havasi was among those who graced the gala stage with his exceptional talent.
"We chose a musical piece which fits very well to this environment, because the piece itself sounds a little bit industrial. And I think it's going to be fun to perform here, because if you look around, the whole place is very industrial as well. And it's all about power, it's all about believing in your dreams, and going after them. It's kind of like a tough song to play, I have to admit," said Havasi in an interview to China Global Television Network (CGTN) during a rehearsal of the gala.
The production team behind the gala aimed to showcase Shenyang's unique customs and iconic landmarks, offering a vibrant glimpse into the heart of northeast China's Liaoning province.
"This year, we are hosting the gala in Shenyang. It's a city rich in culture and history. By holding the event here, we aim to showcase a dynamic Shenyang through our program. We will do so by using a mix of exciting visuals to feature local customs and highlight historical and cultural landmarks," said Dong Jinming, executive director of the gala.
To ensure a high-quality presentation, advanced broadcast technologies were integral to the production process. The gala also used AI to elevate the viewing experience, delivering a more immersive show.
"For this year's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala production, CMG's technical team has integrated AI technology to assist in the creation of the program. We are integrating AI into the cultural relics, and letting them tell their own stories at the gala. We can also 'time travel' via AI, and present the emotions that we want to express. These innovations bring new features to the gala and have helped to reduce costs while increasing efficiency in the production process," said Feng Yi, head of AI-related design and production team of the gala.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.
As a festival in honor of the moon and harvest, families reunite on the occasion to admire the bright full moon, light lanterns, and share the traditional holiday pastry of mooncakes.
Producers bring innovation, AI technology to CMG Mid-Autumn Festival Gala
A young Canadian man's tea-drinking habit has sparked a deep interest in Chinese culture, leading him from academic research to learning Mandarin, reading Tang poetry and traveling to China.
Gareth grew up with childhood memories of Toronto's Chinatown, one the biggest Chinatowns in North America.
The initial exposure to Chinese culture he gained from spending time there in his early years would later form a foundation for a life-changing pursuit, which began with a cup of tea.
"As a child, my impression of China was very surface level. I guess from going to Chinatown, I was familiar with the food and the smells and the sights, but I didn't really understand the culture on a deeper level. Chinatown was part of my upbringing, but I hadn't engaged with Chinese culture fully or more deeply until later. The moment I was introduced to Chinese tea culture was about five years ago, through my roommate in first year university. After trying different Chinese teas, I thought, the taste is so different," said Gareth.
The more the young man learned about Chinese tea, the more he was drawn to the craftsmanship and history behind it.
"As tea became part of my everyday life, drinking it every day, it definitely makes me slow down, paying attention to the water, the leaves, the timing, the taste. It gives you an opportunity to reflect. For me, Chinese tea is more than just a drink, it's a means to connect production, farming, geography, etc. and spend time talking with people and to slow down," he said.
Gareth turned that interest into academic research, looking at how tea production is linked to regions and climate.
"About two years ago, I would say tea became more than just personal interest, but sort of reached into academic territory because I found myself spending so much time reading about tea anyway in my own free time. I figured I might as well research this formally. And so I wrote a research paper under one of my supervisors about two years ago, sort of focusing on the different production methods and regions of tea and how the climate is linked into that. There's sort of that climate influence where the tea is affected by if it's rained, if it hasn't rained, or the total precipitation for the year, temperature swings," said the tea enthusiast.
Driven by a love of tea that deepened his scholarship of Chinese culture, Gareth saw learning Chinese as a powerful gateway to broadening his studies, and once he could read the language, Tang poetry drew him in with its rhythm and imagery.
"After I started learning Mandarin, I became more interested in poetry. I started with Tang poetry, and although I'm still learning Mandarin, I really find it interesting how so much rhyme and meter and imagery can all be combined into such a short poem. I think both poetry and tea force me to slow down and take a minute to reflect not only on myself, but on my surroundings and what's going on in my life and the world at that moment," said Gareth.
Last autumn, Gareth had an opportunity to visit China. He saw the landscapes of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and experienced the warmth of the local people's hospitality.
Now, he hopes to go to southwest China's Yunnan Province to see firsthand how tea is cultivated, and to help more of his fellow Canadians experience China for themselves.
"For me, China started with a cup of tea, but since then it's become much more. It's an integral part of my life that I'll always continue to learn about for myself. But I think I'd like to expand that into the broader community here in Toronto, in Canada so that more Canadians can experience China for themselves. For me, China started with a cup of tea, but since then it's become much, much more than that," he said.
Cup of tea sparks Canadian youth's studious journey into Chinese culture
